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Legon Authorities to Screen Fingering Boys

Joy Online

The Legon Police say they are currently screening a number of students of the University of Ghana, suspected to have been involved in molesting Amina Haruna, an alleged thief who the police said had earlier been arrested twice for the same offence on the Legon campus.

The university has also indicated in a press release issued on Wednesday, April 20, 2011, that a Fact Finding Committee set up by the school had since Tuesday, April 12, completed its work and submitted a report to the Vice-Chancellor, who is the Head of the Disciplinary Committee.

“The Fact-Finding Committee appointed by the executive committee of the University to look into the circumstances leading to the mentioned event has completed its work and submitted a report on its findings to the Dean of Students and the Vice-Chancellor on Tuesday, 12th April 20II. The committee identified a number of students who were present during the molestation as seen in the video clips produced and also from credible eye-witness accounts,” the press release stated.

Following this development, a number of students who were identified were handed over to the police to assist in its investigations.

“Without any prejudice to the provisions statutes of the University, the list of persons duly identified in the report of the Fact-Finding Committee has been handed over to the Ghana Police Service for its own investigations,” it stated.

The university said that “based on the recommendations of the Fact-Finding Committee, the Vice-Chancellor, in his capacity as the chief disciplinary officer of the University, has referred the case against the persons mentioned in the report to the Disciplinary Committee for students.”

Those persons were invited to meet with the Disciplinary Committee as per a Writ of Summons issued on Wednesday, 13th April, 2011.

The school authorities assured the university and the general public that it would not relent in the discovery and sanctioning of the culprits.

“Management would like to assure the University community and the general public that it is doing all that is possible to bring to book and sanction all those involved in the despicable act seen in the video.”

Amina Haruna, a resident of Maamobi in Accra, was on Thursday, March 31, 2011, stripped naked when she was arrested by students of the Mensah Sarbah Hall on the Legon campus for allegedly stealing a number of mobile phones and a laptop computer.

Though some of the students were seen trying to free her from the claws of her captors, others were seen eagerly stretching her thighs wide open for their colleagues to insert their fingers and even mobile phones into her vagina, revealing her clitoral region.

Amina’s brassiere and her underpants where shredded and even snatched away, leaving her stark naked for the boys to do their own thing despite her pleas for leniency.

The Legon Police told media persons that Amina had twice been arrested for a similar offence and was arraigned.

She jumped bail after an Accra Circuit Court granted her bail.

The police had since sought a bench warrant to arrest her, but were unsuccessful until the unfortunate incident.

However the Legon Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Frank Anning, told DAILY GUIDE in an earlier interview that the Police would arraign Amina and her assailants as well, since the law had no place for offenders and those who took the law into their own hands.

Amina said, but for the intervention and care by her grandmother, would have committed suicide.

She feels dejected as her fiancé has also deserted her and revoked plans to marry her.

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The Menace of Child Street Begging in Northern Nigeria

The geographical region referred to as northern Nigeria covers more than half of the total land area of Nigeria. It is also a region with vast agricultural potentials as a variety of tropical agricultural systems is widely practiced there leading to the mass cultivation of food and cash crops. As a matter of fact, the popular and defunct groundnut pyramid was one of the regular features and symbols of this region during the heydays of agriculture in Nigeria.

This is also a region where a lot of mineral resources such as limestone, bauxite, kaolin, phosphate, tin and columbite are found in substantial commercial quantities.

However a puzzling feature of this region is the menace of child street begging which is pervasive especially in the core northern areas or states of Nigeria. [ie spatial units of administration] Such areas include Kano, Bauchi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Borno, Katsina, Gombe, Yobe and parts of Nassarawa, Niger and Kaduna.

That a region which is so much endowed potentially and actually is riddled with this social malaise is confounding. These child street beggars mostly between the ages of [3-17] years are a regular feature of most of these areas mentioned. They regularly move about in groups of 5-20 with plates or bowls in hand soliciting for stipends, food, or anything edible from people or passers by. Some commentators have argued that this societal ill has a cultural/religious dimension to it, while others argue that it has more of the political dimension to it. As those who believe in this particular mantra have argued that the present volatile nature and persistent violence in northern Nigeria can be traced to the activities of these child street beggars.

Whichever school of thought one belongs to, it is pertinent to draw the attention of political, traditional/cultural and religious leaders in Northern Nigeria to this untoward social behavior, on the need to put a stop to this practice. It is unfathomable that in this age and time when kids who should be in school or doing something positive with their lives are left to roam about the streets, all in the name of whatever social/cultural/religious or political nuances. As the future of any society can only be guaranteed if it takes adequate care of its youthful population or future generations.

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UN Cites Urgent Need to Boost Humanitarian Aid in Aftermath of Ivorian Crisis

27 April 2011 –The post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire may have ended but thousands of civilians are still suffering from the consequences of the four months of turmoil that engulfed the West African nation and require increased humanitarian assistance, the United Nations said today.

UN aid officials have estimated that up to 1 million Ivorians have been displaced by the violence, with some internally displaced and others forced to flee into neighbouring countries – particularly Liberia, which is hosting 135,000 Ivorians.

The crisis ended earlier this month when Laurent Gbagbo finally surrendered, ending months of violence that erupted in the wake of his refusal to step down after he lost the UN-certified presidential run-off election last November to Alassane Ouattara.

While the fighting has ended, UN relief officials say ongoing insecurity in some places, as well as difficulties in accessing essential health, education and sanitation services, is increasing the vulnerability of the population.

“A greater proportion of the population has been directly or indirectly affected by the crisis which started late last year. These populations should be assisted without further delay to enable them to live in acceptable conditions and regain their dignity,” said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Côte d’Ivoire, Ndolamb Ngokwey.

The UN has already deployed an evaluation team, known as UNDAC, to Abidjan and the country’s west, both of which bore the brunt of the recent violence. In the west, the team confirmed persistent needs in the areas of shelter, food security, health care, water and sanitation, access to education and protection.

The priority needs in the area include the distribution of tarpaulins, kitchen utensils, mats and other non-food items, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In addition, the presence of arms and the risk of sexual abuse require urgent attention.

In the area of health, OCHA noted that despite the looting of health centres, pharmacies and maternities, medical personnel have started to resume work. It also cited the need to accelerate vaccination programmes for children, as well as rehabilitate water pumps and promote basic hygiene practices.

In the commercial capital of Abidjan, assessment teams have highlighted the need to assist the Government in the areas of civilian protection, health, education and public hygiene, including lightening the burden put on overstretched referral hospitals due to an absence of operational dispensaries and community health facilities.

“With the impending rainy season, clearing of drainage and cleaning of conduits, markets and other public places would be necessary to prevents epidemics of diseases such as cholera,” stated Laurent Dufour, UNDAC’s Team Leader in Côte d’Ivoire.

Earlier this month, UN agencies and their partners launched an appeal for $160 million to provide food security, nutrition, education, protection, water, health care and sanitation to as many as 2 million people throughout Côte d’Ivoire. To date, the appeal is 20 per cent funded, according to OCHA.

UN News Center

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UN report Reveals Increasing Spending on Education in sub-Saharan Africa

 27 April 2011 –Countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been increasing expenditure on education by six per cent every year over the past decade, but many are still lagging in efforts to provide children with quality primary education, the United Nations agency tasked with promoting universal education says in a report unveiled today.

“This report shows very clearly how committed African nations and their partners are to achieving Education for All,” said Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

“It also shows that their efforts are paying dividends, with more children going to school than ever before. This is very encouraging and should spur all of Africa’s partners to provide the support that will help fill the remaining gaps,” she said of the findings of the report, entitled Financing Education in sub-Saharan Africa – Meeting the Challenges of Expansion, Equity and Quality.

The document, published by UNESCO’s Montreal-based Institute for Statistics (UIS), presents comprehensive data on the financing of education in 45 African countries and includes historical statistics to track financing trends since the World Education Forum was held in 2000.

The increase in investment on education has been accompanied by some spectacular results in Africa, according to the report, which points out that between 2000 and 2008, the number of children in primary school rose by 48 per cent – from 87 million to 129 million. Enrolment in pre-primary, secondary and tertiary education has also grown by more than 60 per cent during the same period.

Despite the increased spending on education, however, many countries in the region are still a long way from providing every child with a good quality primary education. The most recent data show that in one third of the countries, half of all children do not complete primary education.

Some 32 million children of primary school age are still out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the UNESCO survey, which forecasts that the number will rise as the population of children between the ages of five and 14 years is expected to grow by more than 34 per cent over the next two decades.

On average, education accounts for more than 18 per cent of all public spending in sub-Saharan Africa compared to 15 per cent in other regions. Overall, the region devotes five per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to education, which is just behind the levels spent by North America and Europe.

The report discounts the assumption that the increased investments were used to absorb the costs associated with the abolition of primary school fees, which dramatically increased enrolment, but also led to over-crowded classrooms in many African countries.

According to the report, public spending on primary education grew at a faster rate than primary enrolment, and points out that many governments not only expanded access to schooling but also sought to improve the quality of education provision.

“The Education for All message has not fallen on deaf ears,” said Hendrik van der Pol, the UIS Director. “Now we need to protect these investments from the current economic storms. Strategic decisions will have to be made based on the facts – not assumptions,” he added.

The report also notes that across the region, families are the largest private financers of education, providing 30 per cent of all primary education resources, with the proportion rising to 49 per cent and 44 per cent respectively for upper and lower secondary education.

At tertiary level, however, family contributions fall to 22 per cent, meaning that that almost $8 out of every $10 spent on tertiary education is subsidised by the government, a situation that raises serious questions of equity.

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Imperatives for the Survival of Democracy in Africa

The nearly universal acceptance of democracy as a perfect organizing principle of government among nation states across the world has led to the embrace of this concept both in theory and practice by all and sundry.

History has it that democracy originated in ancient Greece and since then, it has undergone several modifications, from “direct” democracy, where the people directly involved with governance to “indirect” democracy where people elect those to govern on their behalf. The centrality and importance which democracy places on the ordinary people, as reflected in the freedom of the people to freely choose those to govern them either through direct voting or indirect voting  has further led to the popularity of democracy particularly since the end of the cold war which led to the balkanization of the former soviet union.

Much as democracy has continued to triumph in different parts of the globe, the history of democracy in the African continent right from the 1960’s when most African nations gained independence till this present moment leaves much to be desired. It may be an understatement to say that democracy in Africa has witnessed much travail. Except for a few exceptional cases, the story in most parts of Africa has been similar. Is it the Zimbabwean experience, or the Ivorian case, or the recent post election violence in Nigeria, the Libyan debacle, the Somalian state of anomie, the Ugandan saga and so on. The list seem quit endless.

The question to be asked is why does democracy flourish in other parts of the world but doesn’t in Africa? A cursory look at the places where democracy is fully operational in the real sense of the word particularly in Europe, America and parts of Asia reveals that the critical “middle class” [ie a class of people with adequate education, and sufficient economic power] exists. In most of these places, it is the middle class that sets the tone for political activities as they are fully aware of their rights, obligations, problems and limitations. They are also fully aware and conscious of ways in which these micro problems [personal] and macro [national] problems could be solved. Hence this critical mass of people provides an essential bulwark between the minority upper class people and majority lower class people.

It is this essential economic group of middle class citizens that have been wiped out of most countries in Africa where democracy has been transmogrified or stifled. If democracy in its true form is to thrive in Africa, it is essential that the middle class is brought back. It is also noteworthy to point out that the extinction of the middle class in most parts of Africa has been a deliberate effort by most leaders in Africa who got to power through the democratic process, and thereafter proceeded to destroy the foundations of the democratic lever through which they came to power in order to tighten their grip on power.

A second imperative for the survival of democracy in Africa is for African scholars and political theorists to begin to develop indigenous political thoughts and theories that will seek to integrate traditional African leadership systems and norms with popular democratic culture. As we cannot continue to deny that democracy still remains essentially a Western concept and not an indigenous system. This has been successfully done in most parts of Asia; hence it is not surprising that some countries in that part of the world continue to bask in the euphoria as the “largest democracies in the world”.

In conclusion, for democracy to survive in Africa, there must be a concerted effort on the part of its intelligentsia, political elites, intellectuals, traditional institutions and masses to work selflessly together in order to enthrone an enduring democratic culture upon which democracy can grow.

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Stop Belittling and Denigrating the Ability and Competency of African Women!

In the Holy Bible, it is stated that God created man before a woman. Many people do not understand why God took this action but I believe He might have used man as a rough draft before coming out with the final masterpiece, in this case the woman. This clearly shows how unique and precious women are. A woman is the epitome of tenderness, care and wisdom. Women’s contribution to nation building cannot be over-emphasized. This could be seen in all sectors of the African economy – agriculture, health, education, public service, trade, among others. Although, women constitute over fifty percent (50%) of the world’s active population, the number of women in politics leaves much to be desired. Besides, women continue to face discrimination, abuses and prejudice. This unfortunate situation therefore calls for more pragmatic policies geared towards gender equality in all spheres of life so that the livelihood of the African woman could be improved. In his Inaugural Address in June 2000, at the UN Session in Beijing, our own Kofi Annan who was the then UN Secretary General remarked; “the future of this planet depends on women”. The implication is that without women, development and the survival of the human race will remain elusive.

The onus therefore lies on the various political parties in Africa and more especially, Ghana to ensure that the welfare and empowerment of the Ghanaian woman feature prominently in their plans, policies and programmes. But what is the current situation in Africa now? Apart from the president of Liberia, Her Excellency, Ellis Johnson, men have dominated the topmost political positions in Africa. The situation in Ghana under Mills-Mahama administration, as far as the record, policies, programmes and attitude of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) towards women is very pathetic. The NDC claims to be a democratic party and thus believes in the tenets of democracy yet the response of the party’s functionaries to the recent resignation of Mrs. Rawlings and her intention to contest the sitting President for the party’s flag-bearership slot cuts a slur on the party’s credibility. But why should this happen to a woman of Nana Konadu’s calibre? Is Konadu’s case not a clear manifestation of the ruling P/NDC’s negative attitude towards the generality of Ghanaian women? Is it because Mrs. Rawlings lacks the qualities of a good leader? Is it because Konadu, together with her husband, illegally acquired state assets? Is it because she was once said she regretted being born an Asante? Is it because she wants to give more identification hair cuts to men who date her daughters? Is it because she wants to act as a conduit for her husband, J.J. Rawlings to rule the Ghana once again and cause more mayhem? Is it because Nana Konadu wants to buy more Jacuzzis or is it because she has unfinished business of making the rich and the poor equal? Ghanaians would like to know from Nana Konadu’s detractors.

Still in Ghana, one can look at the horrible and despicable treatment of women during the Rawlings’ AFRC/PNDC era with deep emotions. Whilst many married and unmarried women were stripped naked and given lashes, others were raped, some had their businesses and assets confiscated and an uncountable number of them killed. The abduction and killing of Mrs. Cecelia Koranteng-Addo who was nursing a baby is still fresh in the minds of her fellow women. Again, between 1997 and 2000 under the Rawlings-Mills administration, over 34 innocent women were mysteriously murdered and no pragmatic action was taken to arrest the perpetrators of these callous murders. How could the NDC therefore convince Ghanaians that it is a party that has the requisite capacity to ensure the safety and protection of women? The mere introduction of the Cash and Carry System – a killer health policy as well as the pulling down of the Makola Market in Accra shows the uncaring nature of the NDC towards women’s issues.

In fact, our hard working women do not need a rocket scientist to show them how their socio-economic and political situations have deteriorated over the last two years.  The President of the Republic of Ghana, Prof. John Mills promised to give 40% ministerial appointments to women but ended up with only 11%. Asked why 11% and not the 40% promised, Mills had this to say; “Ghanaian women are not interested in politics”. Since John Mills undeservedly became the leader of Ghana, not a single policy or programme has been designed to empower our Ghanaian women politically, socially and economically and this is evident in the introduction of new taxes, high interest rates which discourage potential borrowers as well as the abnormal increase in utility tariffs.

In addition, some of the Ministers under his mediocre government have been so rude to our women to the extent that they brand female politicians as prostitutes. I hope John Jinapor – the vice president’s Spokesperson and Hannah Bissiw – the Cuban trained specialist in the welfare of ants, cockroaches, dogs, snakes, mosquitoes and other animals are listening. Surprisingly, Akua Sena Dansua whose home region houses the 3,500 Trokosi slaves could not even use her position as Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs to free these innocent women and girls from this bondage. In the end Akua Dansua whose primary up to tertiary education was funded by the tax payer, had the gut to advise some female students not to prolong their education all because it poses a threat to their marriage. Today, all the executive members of the NDC, together with government appointees have been attacking the former first lady with disrespect. Her crime? Her readiness and willingness to contest against a lame-duck President. For instance, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the NDC, Julius Debrah describes Mrs. Rawlings’ action as rubbish and that NDC members and sympathizers are not “Zombis”. The Communications Minister, Haruna Iddrisu argues that Ghanaians are not ready for a female president yet he fails to tell us when the time will be due. Is it not a case of the Minister belittling and denigrating the ability and competency of Ghanaian women? Kwesi Pratt, a die-hard unofficial member of the NDC says he would use all the necessary means to prevent Nana Konadu from becoming a president in Ghana. The General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia believes the NDC party is not like a one-man church. So my mothers, nieces and sisters; is the National Democratic Congress not an anti-women?

It is in the light of the above that I urge all African leaders to follow the pragmatic steps taken by the former president of Ghana, His Excellency, J.A. Kufuor in addressing women’s issues. Under his New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) administration between 2001 and 2008, a new ministry known as the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs was created and it was raised to Cabinet status to ensure that all official policy gave consideration to women’s interest. In effect, not only did domestic violence and child trafficking decrease, but also gender equality was enhanced in Ghana. The fear and panic that gripped Ghana prior to the 2000 general elections under Rawlings and his puppet, John Mills, where thirty four (34) women were serially killed, vanished into thin air in 2001 after the arrest of one Charles Quansah who confessed to have killed 8 out of the 34 murdered women. President Kufour appointed 25% of women into his administration and Ms Elizabeth Ohene, one of the influential women in Ghana’s contemporary politics emerged as the first appointee of Kufuor. Again, a Free Maternal Care policy which enabled pregnant women to have access to free medical care was in fruition, there was the introduction of National Health Insurance Scheme as well as the capitation grant which reduced the financial burden of parents on their children’s education.

Having realised that majority of women were more dominant in the Private Sector, especially petty trading, the NPP government set up the Micro Finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), where micro credit was extended to women who engaged in economic activities with the view to reducing poverty levels and vulnerability. The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) policy which enabled the aged and vulnerable to access between GHS 8.00 and GHS 15.00 was very commendable. Besides, the party strategically put in place measures to ensure that more females represented their constituents in the 2008 parliamentary elections. Consequently fifteen (15) female Members of Parliament in Ghana won parliamentary elections on NPP tickets as against four (4) by the ruling NDC and one (1) from the CPP respectively.

In winding up, I would add that if it is generally accepted that the successful development of any nation basically depends on the expansion of individual human opportunities; and the involvement of the masses in the development process including women who form majority of Africa’s population, then efforts must be made to eliminate all cultural, religious, legal and economic constraints that hinder the full participation of women in self and national development in order to maximize their productivity and that of the nation. In this endeavour, I appeal to all women to join hands with the political party that has proven by words and deeds that it has the welfare of women at heart. Besides, the women themselves who are the ‘victims’ of injustices must become ‘activists’. They should not be passive, silent, submissive and adapted until the necessary changes are made. On this note, I exhort Obaapa Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings to be resolute in her quest to become the flag-bearer of the NDC in the upcoming congress. The voice of Friends of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings (FONKAR) is the voice of the NDC, so Nana Konadu go, go, go high. Who knows you could become the next Yaa Asantewaa of Ashanti and Ghana? I can’t wait to see NANA of NDC versus NANA of NPP in Election 2012. It will be “All die be die”.

God bless Ghana! African women!!  God bless Kufuor!!!

Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang, Hull. UK

katakyienpp@yahoo.co.uk 07944309859

“Vision, coupled with persistency, results in true success”

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Why the King of Swaziland Has Royal Wedding Invite But Not Obama

Richard Rooney, AllAfrica

King Mswati III, the despot of Swaziland, the tiny kingdom that relies on neighbouring South Africa for its economic and political existence, has been invited to next week’s British Royal Wedding.

Mswati, who is king to a tiny kingdom populated with about 1 million people (roughly one-seventh of the number who live in the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area) will take 50 people with him to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. He will stay at the Dorchester Hotel in London, where a room costs £450 (E5,000) a night.

So, why has he – a tin pot dictator from a land hardly anybody in Britain has heard of been invited?

The answer is that King Mswati personally hasn’t been invited, the monarch of Swaziland has. The British Royal Family are nothing if not snobs and they will invite only a certain ‘class’ of person to their weddings.

Heads of state who are not royals of Commonwealth nations are just too common. Hence Barack Obama, president of the United States has to watch the show on his television.

King Mswati makes the cut because all heads of state of Commonwealth countries who are Royals are invited.

I don’t for one moment think William or Kate have the slightest idea who King Mswati is, nor can they find Swaziland on the map. And they don’t know (or care?) that King Mswati and his state forces brutally attacked pro-democracy campaigners earlier this month and will do it again and again in the future if they are allowed to get away with it. He is simply ‘one of us’ so he must come to the wedding.

In Swaziland, the media have not yet reported that King Mswati is heading off to London. The rule in the kingdom is that they do not report on the king unless the king allows them to. Until an official announcement about the trip is made by the King’s Office, it doesn’t exist.reporter (author)

When the Swazi media do eventually get permission to tell King Mswati’s subjects he is off to London, they won’t report on the entourage of 50 who will go with him, nor will they mention the huge cost of the trip the poverty-stricken Swazis will have to pay for.

They are likely to say it is a great honour for King Mswati to be chosen and it shows the respect in which he is held on the international stage.

It won’t be true. The British Royal Family don’t know or care who King Mswati is but as long as he is a Royal he gets a ticket to the wedding.

Think of it this way: if the King of Swaziland was a goat, that goat would be on its way to London for the wedding.

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Africa: 2011 Closes UN’s Roll Back Malaria Decade

Angolan Press

Luanda — The commemoration of the World Malaria Day this year marks the end of the UN’s roll back malaria decade and offers an opportunity for renewed commitment on the pandemic.

This was said Sunday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for Africa, Luis Gomes Sambo.

According to him, this affords us an opportunity to renew our common vision and commitment as we look forward and aim at attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

Malaria, by its complexity involving health as well as environmental and socioeconomic determinants and consequences, relates virtually to all the MDGs, the official also stated, adding that “as it is well known, our part of the world is home to an estimated 795 million people exposed to malaria. Close to 90% of deaths due to malaria worldwide occur in Africa.

Gomes Sambo went on to say that the poor, children, pregnant women, people living with HIV/AIDS, victims of unrest and disasters and non-immune travellers are particularly vulnerable. Therefore, progress in the fight against malaria in Africa is critical to reaching the ambitious targets set in the UN Secretary General’s call for Universal Access to essential interventions, the AU Abuja Declaration and Plan of Action, Resolutions of WHO Governing Bodies and the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP).

In this regard, he added, it is encouraging to note that malaria control alliances are being strengthened throughout Africa. For example, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) has committed to support elimination of preventable malaria deaths by 2015. The African Union and Regional Economic Communities have also kept malaria high on their health and development agenda.

Countries and partners are making commendable efforts to accelerate and sustain progress in malaria prevention and control in our Region. For example, endemic countries have reflected malaria control in their poverty reduction strategies, the official stated.

Programme reviews are ongoing and strategic plans are being updated to take into account funding and capacity gaps to reach universal access. The success rate for malaria proposals for the Global Fund (GFATM) reached 80% in Round 10. Consequently, effective interventions including protection from the mosquito vector through the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) and Indoor Residual Spaying (IRS), prompt treatment of malaria cases using Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnant women (IPTp) and infants (IPTi) are being adapted and scaled up, the WHO regional director also stated.

According to him, cross-border initiatives are catalyzing efforts to accelerate and sustain control and, where possible, to prepare for the transition to pre-elimination. The Affordable Medicines Facility for Malaria (AMFm) has been launched in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda to ensure access to quality ACTs in private sector facilities. Malaria vaccine trials are ongoing in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya.

As he went on to say, by the end of 2010, a total of 11 countries (Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Madagascar, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania) had registered more than 50% reduction in malaria cases and deaths; the proportion of households owning at least one insecticide treated net (ITN) was 42% and 35% of children under five years of age slept under an ITN; 27 countries had reported implementation of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) so that 73 million people accounting for about 10% of the population at risk of malaria in the Region were protected by IRS; 33 countries had adopted a policy of parasitological testing of all suspected malaria cases and 35% of malaria cases in the Region were confirmed by a diagnostic test.

In his opinion, in order to consolidate the gains achieved so far, “we need to ensure: rigorous governance to strengthen performance and accountability; mobilization of additional resources; linking disease programme development and health systems strengthening; better coordination of stakeholders and partners under national stewardship; and effective involvement of every exposed individual and community.”

Among the critical challenges that countries need to address are: weak surveillance, monitoring and evaluation capacity; inadequate operational research platforms; lack of implementation of regulatory measures such as the ban on oral Artemisinin-based monotherapies and inadequate monitoring of parasite resistance to antimalarial medications and mosquito resistance to insecticides, he stated.

Gomes Sambo pledged that WHO will continue to work with Member States and partners to mainstream malaria control in health and development policies and plans; mobilize domestic and external funding; foster public private partnerships, support alignment of stakeholders around country priorities and provide guidance and assistance to ensure efficient use of resources for performance and impact. We shall also continue to support initiatives for the removal of taxes and tariffs on malaria commodities, and a ban on the marketing of oral artemisinin monotherapies.

On the other hand, he called upon Governments, parliamentarians, Nongovernmental Organizations, the private sector, civil society groups, faith-based organizations and all exposed communities to take stock of our common achievements and mobilize financial and human resources in a decisive push to further accelerate malaria prevention and control for the socioeconomic progress of countries of the African Region.