MARCAD Program Director, Prof. Oumar Gaye, optimistic about malaria pre-elimination

It is possible to achieve malaria pre-elimination in the North and the Centre of Senegal by 2020, said Professor Oumar Gaye, Director of the Malaria Research Capacity Development in West and Central Africa (MARCAD) of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar(UCAD), on Monday in Accra (Ghana).

''We believe indeed, with the programmes, that we have the mass administration with the new tools for monitoring the diagnosis, among others- we can hope to move to the North and the Centre towards malaria elimination within the set timeframe by 2020'', he said. ‘’

 Pr Gaye was expressing his views in an interview with APS, in the margin of the second annual meeting of the Alliance for the acceleration of Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA).

 '' [...] If we talk about pre-elimination, the North and the Centre of Senegal have dropped to extremely low prevalence levels. This is unique'', welcomed the Head of the Department of Parasitology of the Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto Stomatology of UCAD.

 According to him, ''it will take a lot of time'' to achieve this objective for the other areas, because the epidemiological conditions are different.

 ''We shall continue to go there, but already we can be optimistic. The prevalence levels that existed 10 years ago, have decreased. From 40%, they now stand at 10%'', said the MARCAD Director.

 Still showing optimism for malaria elimination in Senegal, Pr Gaye pleaded for more financial resources.

''Many of our strategies are externally financed. Domestic and local financing are now needed to build on what we have achieved'', he emphasized.