31 May 2004

More funding needed for fight against malaria in PNG

7:06 am on 31 May 2004

Health Department officials in Papua New Guinea say global warming could be responsible for a malaria epidemic that may be affecting up to a million people.

The epidemic has struck villages in the Highlands with unconfirmed reports of many deaths.

The technical advisor for the malaria control programme in PNG, Leo Makita, says a lack of money is also partly responsible for the outbreak.

"We know that these epidemics happen around this time of the year and we also know we have to use control measures such as residual spraying before this time. But we have not been able to secure the financial resources to do this."