Global health experts release new guidance on malaria e...( Countries and policy leaders gain ne...),Health

Countries and policy leaders gain new guidance today on how and when to eliminate malaria, paving the way for the potential global eradication of the deadly disease. The announcement is being made on behalf of the Malaria Elimination Group, a global body of researchers, policy experts and country program managers, by the Global Health Group of UCSF Global Health Sciences.

"The international community has provided relatively little guidance to countries on elimination to date. The documents published today are intended to change that," said Sir Richard Feachem, KBE, DSc(Med), PhD, director of the Global Health Group, and chair of the Malaria Elimination Group.

"Much of the world's attention has rightly focused on controlling malaria and reducing deaths caused by the disease," Feachem said. "However, 39 countries around the world have embarked on the next step of elimination in the pursuit of eventual global eradication. They deserve our full support and encouragement."

Feachem will officially announce the release of two publications, Shrinking the Malaria Map: A Prospectus on Malaria Elimination, and its companion, Shrinking the Malaria Map: A Guide on Malaria Elimination for Policy Makers, during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, jointly sponsored with the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership to commemorate World Malaria Day 2009.

The Prospectus is intended as a road map for those working on the front lines of malaria control and elimination and reviews the operational, technical and financial decisions that should be considered for an elimination program. The Guide is a policy digest of the Prospectus, intended for leaders and policy makers.

"The Malaria Elimination Group has made a valuable contribution at a crucial moment, by providing countries, policy makers and investors the information they need to make informed decisions about investment in malaria elimination," said Raymond G. Chambers, the United
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