[14/March/2010]
SANA'A, March 14 (Saba) – A workshop was launched here on Sunday on upgrading of the national strategy for malaria control in the country.

The thee-day workshop, organized by the National Program for Malaria Control at the Ministry of Public Health and Population in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), aimed to discuss the situation of malaria in Yemen and the progress achieved in areas of Malaria mortality reduction and priorities of upgrading the national strategy for malaria control.

At the launch of workshop, the Undersecretary of Ministry of Public Health and Population Dr. Majid al-Jonid pointed that the workshop would review the priorities of health problems within steps to upgrading the national strategy for malaria control in light of the ministry's trends and the donors' support and to move to the phase of malaria eradication and make the Arabian Peninsula free of malaria.

He affirmed the importance of maintaining the progress achieved in field of combating malaria ,noting that the upgrading of malaria control strategy coincides and harmonize with the ministry's preparation for setting the next five-year plan of the health development.

Director-General of the National Program for Malaria Control Dr. Adel al-Jisari stressed the private sector role in general and the public sector in particular in combating malaria, whether with regard to the health facilities or the medical cadres.

He pointed to the need to focus on the indexes of the national survey of malaria situation in Yemen by the participants in the workshop and to develop appropriate solutions.

For her part, the WHO's expert, Dr. Huda Attami, indicated the importance of the workshop and its focus on the challenges and the stage of the eradication of malaria from the Arabian Peninsula and on strengthening the relationship with other countries and organizations supporting the national program to combat malaria

The workshop was attended by 60 participants representing the WHO's experts and leaders of the Ministry of Public Health and the medical leaders in universities and public hospitals and the private medical sector and civil society organizations.

BA

Saba