El Salvador to Eliminate Malaria

San Salvador, Dec 23. -The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and health authorities of El Salvador have announced the forthcoming launch of a program to eliminate malaria transmission in the coming years.

PAHO's international consultant Marcelo Aguilar reported that the plan will be initiated in 2011 in conjunction with specialists from the Ministry of Health.

According to Aguilar, the situation is encouraging in El Salvador, as it is one of the few countries in the hemisphere that shows significant progress in the reduction of the disease.

We are going to design a kind of epidemiology siege. Whenever a case occurs, we will take measures to prevent its spread to other places and, in this way, close the source of infection, said Aguilar.

Health Ministry figures indicate that this year 15 cases of malaria have been reported, but only 10 of them are native. In 1985 more than 26,000 cases were diagnosed. (Prensa Latina)