Obama’s State Of The Union Call To End Malaria Conjures Warnings From Researchers Over Drug Resistance, Other Challenges

New York Times: Obama’s Goal to Wipe Out Malaria May Be a Dream Too Far
“…Under Mr. Obama, the President’s Malaria Initiative has grown into a $618 million program that works in 19 African countries as well as the Mekong River region of Southeast Asia. … The program accounts for a significant portion of global spending on anti-malaria efforts, which reached $2.5 billion in 2014. The United States government is responsible for about half of the total, and about half of America’s spending comes from the president’s initiative. Despite undeniable progress, serious challenges remain…” (Harris, 1/17).

NPR: Obama’s Upbeat Message About Ending Malaria Omits Discouraging Signs
“…Newly reported cases of resistance to malaria drugs, and some signs that mosquitoes are becoming resistant to insecticides, are worrisome. If resistance spreads, it could derail more than a decade of improvement in controlling malaria. Some 3.2 billion people live in parts of the world, many in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria continues to be a threat, according to WHO. Last year, there were 215 million cases and 438,000 deaths from the disease…” (Brink, 1/17).

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