Brazil tightens successful malaria campaign:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Brazil has reported significant successes in its malaria control programme, two years after its launch. During a recent meeting to approve plans to strengthen the programme, the Brazilian healthcare foundation - Fundacao Nacional de Saude (Funasa) - reported a 70% fall in the incidence of malaria since 1999 across the Amazonia Legal region. Of the eight states in the region, Mato Grosso and Roraima recorded the highest falls, at 76.9% and 74.9%, respectively. the success has been attributed to a significant investment in epidemiological surveillance. The incidence of the disease remains high, however. In the year to August, 186,100 cases had been reported across the region this year. Funasa estimates that around 300,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2002, compared with 387,200 in 2001 and 635,600 in 1999. The malaria plan was launched in July 2000, backed by annual funding totalling R$146m (US$37m).