Malaria Control by 2010: Putting It All Together

The goal is set: comprehensive Malaria control in Africa by 2010. Jeffrey Sachs, famous economist, claims that this is a tight timetable, but that we now have all the tools we need to prevent and control Malaria. We are no longer limited by our technical ability to address the problem; insecticides, bed nets, and medicinal treatments are all fairly successful controllers of the disease. The problem is not cost, either. Sachs says that,

“In view of the lives to be saved and the economic benefits of reining in the disease, the total cost of around $3 billion a year is one of the world’s great bargains.”

If not technology or cost, then what limits our ability to solve the Malaria problem? Sachs claims that the key roadblock is organization and implementation. Picture a malfunctioning Rube Goldberg machine: the individual parts may be fine, but without coordination, they cannot accomplish their goal. This is essentially the same problem that Africa faces with Malaria control. Sachs claims that, in the case of Malaria:

“…we can restore health and unleash massive economic gain, but only if countless agencies, dozens of countries and hundreds of millions of individuals can effectively take a shared action.”

Like many of the biggest problems we face today, strategic partnerships and coordination between actors are crucial to the success of any initiative. Effective coordination efforts for addressing Malaria in Africa can set an example of how we should address other pressing issues of our time. Sachs concludes:

“Success will enable us to consider similarly urgent challenges in food production, water management, biodiversity conservation and climate control, to name but four crucial areas. The consequences of failure, on the other hand, would be almost too painful to behold. The countdown to 2010 has begun.”

For more information on Malaria, check out this comprehensive National Geographic article.