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July 7, 2009 (JUBA) — The USAID, the humanitarian arm of the US government, donated today some 1.6 million doses of medication to the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) to be used for malaria treatment throughout the southern region.
Malaria is the number one killer of children in Southern Sudan, and is particularly prevalent in those under five years of age. To ensure effective management of the disease, GOSS’s Ministry of Health has adopted an Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) as the first line of treatment.
The ACTs donated by USAID are highly effective and recommended by the World Health Organization for treatment in areas such as Southern Sudan, where resistance of malaria parasites to other drugs is high.
Robert E. Whitehead, US Chargé d’Affaires in Khartoum, today presented the anti-malarial medicines to officials at GOSS Ministry of health in Juba.
In remarks he made at this occasion he said doses would be distributed to to seven state health ministries in Western Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Upper Nile, Lakes and Unity states.
These anti-malarials will be sufficient to meet countrywide malaria treatment needs for up to six months.
USAID is providing US$3.7 million this year to support efforts by GOSS Ministry of Health to set up a Malaria control program.
(ST)
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