Malaria control and primary health care: or the art of squaring the circle.
The present trends of malaria control in developing countries aim at integrating the specific antimalaria activities, as much as possible, with the tasks of the primary health care. This seems to have been achieved in a few countries through the close involvement of the community and the support of the national, politically orientated health programme. However, such social and administrative discipline is seldom seen, although it can be of immense long-term value. In view of the present increasing difficulties of malaria control by residual insecticides and by antiplasmodial methods, it is doubtful if the primary health care can achieve the desirable aims of comprehensive malaria control, even if can greatly help in implementing such measures as are necessary. A realistic appraisal of intermediate health targets is needed, together with a maintenance of a core of technical expertise to advise and conduct the necessary activities. There is also great need of a reorientation of individual and community attitudes throughout the endemic malarious areas of the Third World.
D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011320:Primary Health Care