Malaria Main Cause of Death in Angola, Health Official Says

Approximately 20,000 people -- more than half of whom are pregnant women and children -- die of malaria infection annually in Angola, making it the main cause of death in the country, Filomeno Fortes, Angola's director of malaria programs, said on Portuguese radio TSF Tuesday, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. Over two million people out of a total population of 13 million are infected with malaria annually, and the country spends more than $100 million annually providing treatment for the disease (AFP/Yahoo! News, 11/9/04). According to Fortes, poor sanitation, inadequate preventive measures and widespread poverty contribute to the high rates of malaria in the country, Xinhua News Agency reports (Xinhua News Agency, 11/9/04).