LONDON - The fight against malaria is slowing down amid a
dramatic drop in efforts to reverse the epidemic, even as health
officials insist they will try to meet their idealistic target
of virtually eliminating deaths from the parasitic illness by
the end of 2015. Malaria causes symptoms including fever, chills
and vomiting and can kill if not treated early. It mainly
strikes children under 5, mostly in Africa. In 2010, about 145
million bed nets were given out across Africa to protect people
against the mosquitoes that spread the killer disease. Last
year, that fell to about 66 million. The number of homes in
Africa sprayed with pesticides has also stalled, as have
attempts to treat pregnant women, one of the high-risk groups.
While the malaria death rate has fallen by a quarter since 2000,
officials say further improvements are in jeopardy. "We must act
with urgency and determination to keep this tremendous progress
from slipping out of our grasp," Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO's
director-general, wrote in a repor