Africa Malaria Day 25th April 2001 – Join the Roll Back Malaria Movement in Southern Africa, 09/04/01

Background
The Abuja Declaration on Roll Back Malaria in Africa by the Heads of States and Governments on April 25^th 2000 in Abuja, Nigeria called for an Annual Africa Malaria Day.

The theme for the 2001 Africa Malaria Day is launch massive campaigns to increase the distribution, purchase and use of insecticide treated mosquito nets (ITNs) for prevention against malaria and to control malaria (Target: 60% of the population especially pregnant women and children in malaria areas must sleep every day under an insecticide treated mosquito nets)

Two Aims for Africa Malaria Day

	Accelerate the Roll Back Malaria partnership (Communities & Governments & NGOs, Universities & Research Institutions & Private sector & Bilateral & Multilateral agencies) – in Africa.
	Promote a massive scale-up of insecticide treated mosquito nets use within Africa.

Three Objectives for Africa Malaria Day

	To encourage wider action and partnership to tackle malaria.
	To encourage more countries to act on commitments to reduce or waive taxes and tariffs for all malaria control tools such as mosquito nets, netting materials, anti-malaria insecticides, malaria equipment (pumps, microscopes, slides), rapid test kits for malaria and anti-malaria drugs.
	To increase innovative ways of getting more affordable insecticide treated mosquito nets (ITNs) into African communities and encourage more African households to invest in ITNs.

Three Elements to Africa Malaria Day

1.  Building Partnerships and Demonstrating and Reporting on Progress on Abuja Declaration.

What, where and how communities, NGOs, governments, universities, research institutions, private sector, bilateral and multilateral agencies and development banks are working together on implanting the Abuja declaration.  Special report on countries progress-particularly with taxes and tariffs legislation on all malaria control tools.

2.  Launching Roll Back Malaria Advocacy Campaign

Sustained efforts week by week and month by month following the Africa Malaria Day in April to the SADC Malaria week in November 12-16^th 2001 to continuously mobilize the public, communities, politicians, policy makers, professionals, and industrialists to join the Roll Back Malaria Movement to push malaria back.

3.  Launching Roll Back Malaria Information and Education Campaign

Sustained efforts day by day and week by week and month by month following the Africa Malaria day in April to the SADC Malaria Week in November 12-16^th 2001 to continuously inform and educate the individuals and communities how they are responsible and can take measures to protect themselves against killer malaria.

The Press (Print-Radio-TV) has an important role to play to demonstrate what is being done or not done to control malaria in Southern Africa, create debate, inform and mobilize public opinion and action.

Southern Africa taking AIM and Rolling Back Malaria in Africa

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