Experts assemble to combat malaria

Kenya will play host to conference on disease

The world’s leading malaria experts will gather at the Kenyatta International Conference Center in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 1st – 6th in a global effort to eradicate the disease.

The fifth Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan African Malaria conference will bring together over 1,500 scientists, healthcare workers, policy makers, community members and other experts who will present new findings and the latest research.

With malaria deaths still at unacceptable levels in Africa, and as the world rapidly approaches the 2010 targets to deliver effective and affordable malaria protection to 80 percent of those at risk - the conference will highlight an Africa-wide effort to reach these targets, empower communities, battle complacency and eliminate the many barriers that are keeping effective prevention and treatment tools from reaching the most vulnerable.

“Close to 3,000 young children die every day from malaria and this devastating disease is intertwined with the pervasive poverty of Africa,” says Francine Ntoumi, MIM Secretariat Co-coordinator.

“The MIM conference is a unique opportunity to learn about malaria and what is being done to defeat it.”

The conference will cover expert knowledge on all aspects of malaria – current prevention and control efforts, research and development of vaccines, new affordable and effective drugs and community based strategies to increase access.

For more information on MIM and its efforts to maximize the impact of scientific research against Malaria in Africa visit: www.mimalaria.org