What controlling malaria will do for African economies is multiple — the effect on GDP, the effect on health spending, lost school days, lost work days.
The high birth rate in Africa, which is on track to have two billion people by 2050, may even fall as fewer infant deaths cause families to have fewer children.
Eight African countries besides Zambia have halved their infection rates in the last decade: Eritrea, Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Cape Verde and Sao Tome.
However, the success does not necessarily translate into lower malaria spending, on average 40 percent of Africa's public health budget, since the gains can be reversed.
"If we make a one-time push and pull resources back, it's going to be a disaster. You can't give someone a bednet, have it wear out in a few years and then expect everything is going to be OK.
Nigeria, DRC, Uganda, Sudan and Tanzania, in that order, have the highest number of cases and together account for more than half of all malaria deaths worldwide.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36717825
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