Page 44 Until 1997, the National Aids Control Programme depended exclusively on external funding. 1998 saw the implementation of the five-year action plan, which was budgeted for and implemented with state and donor funds. 6) Malaria and Tuberculosis Control - Malaria This disease is endemic in our country, accounting for 45 per cent of health centre attendance. In 35 per cent of cases, the disease leads to death in children below the age of five years. At the Abuja Summit in Nigeria on 25 April, 2000, the Heads of State and Government of 46 African countries pledged to take appropriate measures to halve malaria incidence by 2010. Further to this regional-level commitment, the Government began a process to reform malaria control, leading to the adoption of a national strategic plan for malaria control for 2002 to 2006. Implementation of the plan focused on prevention through the use of treated mosquito nets. The two most vulnerable target groups, pregnant women and children under five years of age, received special attention during implementation of this strategy and were given free treated mosquito nets. Out of the 610,000 nets acquired for pregnant women, some 250,000 were distributed. In 2005, 800,000 more nets were acquired. 150,000 mosquito nets were acquired and distributed to children below five years. 1,100,000 more were acquired in 2005. To facilitate access by the rest of the population to these mosquito nets, the cost was reduced from FCFA 5000 (US$ 9) to FCFA 3,500 (US$6) in 2004. - Tuberculosis Tuberculosis has seen resurgence in recent years due to poverty among a large section of the population as well as the increase in HIV/AIDS cases, for which TB is the primary opportunistic infection. The national tuberculosis control programme has 173 diagnostic and treatment centres nationwide. Government initially reduced the cost of treatment to FCFA 5,000 in 1997, and then decided on free distribution from 1 October 2004

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