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Efforts stepped up to rid Dominican Republic and Haiti of malaria and lymphatic filariasis

2 Oct 2008

Paul Chinnock

Source: Carter Center (see original article)

Hispaniola, the Caribbean’s second largest island, is the last reservoir in the region for two serious mosquito-borne diseases – malaria and lymphatic filariasis. A new initiative now aims to accelerate the elimination of both diseases. Hispaniola is shared by two nations – Haiti and the Dominican Republic – which will work together in the new project, backed by the US Carter Center.

Former US President Jimmy Carter said that the continued presence of both diseases in Hispaniola puts the rest of the region at risk: ‘I hope this project will demonstrate that it is feasible to eliminate malaria and lymphatic filariasis from Hispaniola once and for all.’

Health officials from both countries will target malaria in border towns. Carter Center support will enable the purchase of insecticide-treated bednets, microscopes, and motorbikes. The Center will also fund additional health staff in three targeted communities and provide technical assistance.

The initiative stems from a 2006 recommendation from the Carter Center’s International Task Force for Disease Eradication (ITFDE) – a group of 12 global experts on infectious disease funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – that it is technically feasible to eliminate the two parasitic diseases on Hispaniola. Achieving elimination would improve not only health, but economic opportunity, including agriculture and tourism. The Dominican Republic lost approximately US$200 million in tourism due to an outbreak of malaria in 2004. The experts also warn that as long as malaria exists in Hispaniola, the disease threatens other nearby islands, including Jamaica and the Bahamas, which in the past two years have experienced brief malaria outbreaks originating in Hispaniola.