One of the few sub-Saharan African countries with significant adult mortality, as opposed to child mortality. Eritrea’s successful malaria control program has made it one of few countries likely to meet Abuja bednet coverage targets and RBM 2010 goals.
In June 2005, the Bank’s Board approved a US$26.5 million IDA grant, HAMSET II, which contains a malaria component of US$2 million over 5 years to support progress made. However, this amount is insufficient to sustain the progress already made in malaria control. Without additional financing, Eritrea may face a resurgence of malaria in the coming years. The Bank will discuss the situation with the donor community, to find a way to preserve, and even accelerate, the successful malaria control effort despite the difficult political environment.
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Despite heavy rains and large epidemics in neighboring countries, Eritrea has reduced malaria cases by an astonishing 63 percent (65,517 cases were reported in 2003 versus 179,000 malaria cases reported in 1999). The use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) by children under 5 years of age in malarious areas has risen from 4.2 percent in 2002 to 37.3 percent in 2005. Eritrea’s successful malaria control program makes it one of few countries in Africa likely to meet both the revised Abuja bednet coverage targets and the RBM malaria burden reduction goals for 2010.* However, if these efforts are not sustained, a significant risk of resurgence will remain and even more people will be at risk of dying from the disease.
After a period of uncertainty in funding and the withdrawal of many donors from Eritrea, the most recent grant approval from the Global Fund will help the government to continue to implement critical interventions for malaria control such as replacing old and worn out bednets with new long lasting insecticidal nets and supporting the switch over to artemisinin-based combination therapies for first line treatment. The World Bank will continue to work with partners and the government to maintain and expand the progress that has been achieved.
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