The United Nations has reported that{{U}} (31) {{/U}}progress is being made in the fight{{U}} (32) {{/U}}malaria in Africa. The UNICEF website says the area that is{{U}} (33) {{/U}}the most dramatic improvement is sub- Saharan Africa. This is the region hardest hit by the{{U}} (34) {{/U}}One of the biggest reasons for these gains against the killer infection is the increased use of special insect nets. This{{U}} (35) {{/U}}solution can reduce child deaths by as much as 20 percent. The{{U}} (36) {{/U}}says the number of children using the insecticide- treated{{U}} (37) {{/U}}has tripled since 2000. According to UNICEF's Executive Director Ann Veneman, controlling malaria is vital{{U}} (38) {{/U}}improving child health and economic{{U}} (39) {{/U}}in affected countries. Studies show that malaria unfairly affects the poorest people in these countries, and contributes to their poorer{{U}} (40) {{/U}}conditions.
UNICEF prepared the{{U}} (41) {{/U}}together with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. This organisation is a collaboration of aid agencies launched in 1998 to{{U}} (42) {{/U}}fight malaria. Its vision is that{{U}} (43) {{/U}}2015, malaria "is no longer a major{{U}} (44) {{/U}}of mortality and no longer a barrier{{U}} (45) {{/U}}social and economic development". The report{{U}} (46) {{/U}}provides a healthy picture of the use of drugs in{{U}} (47) {{/U}}the number of malaria cases. Since 2003, national health programmes have{{U}} (48) {{/U}}heavily in buying anti-malarial drugs called ACTs. UNICEF's health chief Pater Salama is{{U}} (49) {{/U}}and says the future looks bright. He reports: "With the strong backing of some of the international donors and the{{U}} (50) {{/U}}of ACTs starting to be reduced, I think governments are becoming more confident now that this will be a sustainable strategy for anti-malaria treatment."