[Angola] ...And U.S. Sign Memorandum On Malaria

from all Africa

A memorandum of understanding on the initiatives of fight against malaria will be signed Thursday, in Luanda, by the governments of Angola, US and some United Nations agencies.

The agreement will be signed by the Angolan Health minister, Sebastião Veloso, the American ambassador in the country, Cyntia Efird, and representatives from World Health Organization (WHO), Fautomatta Diallo, UNICEF, Akhil Iyer, and ExxomMobbil executive director, Terry Mcphail.

According to a document from the US diplomatic mission, which ANGOP had access to, the memorandum is part of a challenge made in June 2005 by the United States of America president, George Bush, which aims at reducing children mortality rate caused by malaria to 30 percent in the African Sub Saharan region.

The memo includes a rise in the malaria prevention budget over USD 1 billion for a five year period.

Through this initiative, the US government will provide, as from 2008, USD 300 million per year, for the world combat against malaria, as well as USD 130 million to assist people in the most affected African countries.

The action started being implemented this year with USD 7.5 million for Angola, being expected considerable increase in the next years, representing a continuous support for an effective five year programme.