West African States Should Cooperate To Fight Malaria, Nigerian Health Minister Says

Policy makers, health experts and opinion leaders gathered in Steyning, England, on Thursday for the Wilton Park Conference titled, "Malaria: Getting to Zero," where Nigeria's Minister of Health Babatunde Osotimehin described the need for West African states to cooperate in order to effectively combat malaria in the region, the Vanguard/AllAfrica.com reports.

According to Osotimehin, if West African states work together by sharing ideas, challenges and best practices, their efforts could lead to a significant reduction of the malaria burden in the region.

At the conference-Ray Chambers, the special envoy of the United Nations Secretary General on Malaria, said-that malaria eradication in Nigeria could be possible with substantial commitment from the government. Chambers said that countries should use several methods to fight malaria, including education. He also recommended faith-based approaches, the Vanguard/AllAfrica.com reports.

This year, the annual meeting is focusing on the global effort to curb malaria (Vanguard/AllAfrica.com, 4/17).