Strengthening Malaria Control for Ethnic Minorities in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Download or read book Strengthening Malaria Control for Ethnic Minorities in the Greater Mekong Subregion written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Malaria control was identified as one of the main priorities in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Malaria is one of the major diseases undermining the health of ethnic minorities. Approximately one third of ethnic minorities, about seven million people, live in remote, often hilly and forested, parts of these countries. Many are also more vulnerable due to lack of education, poor health status, lack of formal land ownership, and in general not being familiar with the ways of the modern world. The most vulnerable among all these groups are pregnant women, young children, and very poor and malnourished people. Although the malaria situation in the Mekong region has improved over the past several years, it is widely recognized that ethnic minorities, migrants and forest workers remain at high risk for malaria. They often live in remote areas with weak or without public health systems, and lack physical, social and financial access to preventive and curative care.