Rwanda has registered a 54 percent reduction in malaria related-deaths, according to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).
The announcement was made yesterday, as Rwanda joined other nations to celebrate the World Malaria Day.
“Comparing data from 2005 to 2010, malaria incidence has declined by 70 percent; malaria cases have decreased by 60 percent while malaria deaths have declined by 54 percent,” reads a statement from RBC.
The 2010 World Malaria report had indicated that there were about 1.2 million probable and confirmed malaria cases, which translated into 809 deaths.
According to the Director of Malaria Unit at RBC/TRACPlus, Dr. Corine Karema, Rwanda has made extraordinary progress in the fight against the killer disease.
“Today, Rwanda has achieved universal coverage of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) with all households having at least two, as well as universal access to Artemesinin-combination treatment through all public health facilities and community health workers.”
“For us, the World Malaria Day reminds us of how to better work, sustain our gains in the fight against malaria and eliminate the disease in Rwanda,” she added.
She said the government would embark on a malaria campaign in June and July targeting the Eastern and Southern provinces, which have reported many cases.