Officials say malaria still remains the highest killer disease in Africa,
due to inadequate access to medication and mosquito nets.

 SILUMBU VILLAGE, ZAMBIA, ROLL BACK MALARIA VNR -
This week (May 31) saw the end of an unprecedented eight week voyage
down the 2,500 kilometres Zambezi River that documented the impact of malaria
in six African countries, highlighting the success and challenges of meeting
SADC countries' pledge to eradicate malaria and helping make the case for this
ambitious health goal, officials of the Roll Back Malaria campaign told the
media on Tuesday (June 2) in Johannesburg.
    The expedition was arranged by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and at
this briefing; you will get the opportunity to meet those that were most
involved with this unique journey.
    The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership was launched in 1998 by the
World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF),
the noted Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank to provide a
coordinated global approach to fighting malaria.
    Officials told the media that the journey drew attention onto remote
populations at the water's edge who are anxious to receive protective treated
nets and malaria treatments.
    "The malaria situation in the countries differs a lot because you
have countries like Botswana and Namibia that only have a tiny part along the
river that have problems with malaria compared to countries like Angola and
now it's finally Mozambique where almost everybody is affected by malaria and
I was explaining the situation in Angola where people walk for 70km to a
health post that has two iron beds, no sheets and no mosquito nets. So even in
this health post where people walk for 70km there's no supplies because the
next hospital that has to supply this health post is another 100km away,"
expedition leader Helge Bendl told the media.
    The expedition also helped document the disease, highlight the success
and challenges of meeting SADC countries' pledge to eradicate malaria and help
make the case for this ambitious health goal.
    Whilst demonstrating the need for partnership to fight malaria, the
expedition illustrated the vital importance of regional cooperation and cross
border collaboration to the SADC region's long term goal of elimination in
highlighting the plight of babies and young children, and the high price they
pay - 75% of all malaria-related deaths occur in pregnant women and
children.
    "There's need of co-operation between countries when you have a
river like Zambezi sometimes you are in one bank you are in one country you
are on the left bank you are in another country and both countries have
different policies for prevention, use different medicines and work in a
different way to fight malaria. Perhaps, as Helge explained to you mosquitos
have no passports they just cross the border and the people there they are
moving a lot the people are crossing the border everyday. It is very important
for those countries to co-operate and to have a co-operation between them on
common policy," project manager, Herve Verhoosel said.
    Officials say the Zambezi River has the potential to represent the
"River of Life "among the six countries and serve as a
communications and development pathway.