SciDev.Net

Funding agencies and donors hoping to tackle malaria must commit more to basic research, says Nature.

African countries must set money aside for malaria vaccines now, and hire business leaders to run control programmes, says Tom Egwang.

Malaria control efforts should be joined with those of neglected tropical diseases to achieve eradication, say Peter J. Hotez and David H. Molyneux.

Researchers are putting women's lives at risk by being too cautious about trialling drugs during pregnancy, say Nicholas J. White and colleagues.

African malaria research networks have helped scientists combat the disease, but they need more stable support and longer-term funding, says Thomas Egwang.

Malaria policy needs to be changed if WHO targets are to be met, warn Ephantus J. Muturi, Peter Burgess and Robert J. Novak.

Mark Grabowsky argues that the billions of dollars invested in the fight against malaria are wasted without systematic disease surveillance.

Collecting comprehensive national and regional data could thwart the spread of malaria in Africa as conditions warm, argues Suad Sulaiman.

Exploiting biopesticides in East Africa could help control malaria and stimulate economic development, argues Bob W. Bell Jr.

Africa should be the driver, not co-pilot, of malaria vaccine development, argues Tom Egwang.

Health organisations and policymakers should work together to improve diagnostic tests for the major diseases in the developing world.

Nicholas White argues that with skilled leadership, richer countries can make effective malarial drugs available to the developing world.

Researchers from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) describe the organisation's approach for developing cheap, effective tests for neglected diseases.

Despite the costs and effort involved, Africa researchers must play an active role in developing a malaria vaccine if such a vaccine is going to be effective, argues Wen Kilama.

Malaria research in Africa needs effective teams with skilled and committed leaders, argues Wilfred Mbacham.

India needs a radically different strategy to tackle the emerging challenges of drug-resistant malaria parasites and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes, says V. P. Sharma.

Artemisinin combinations hold great promise for tackling malaria, but they must be used prudently to ensure they are sustainable for decades to come, says Ramanan Laxminarayan.

Forget subsidies for bednets and malaria drugs — the poor must be given them free of charge, say Jeffrey Sachs and colleagues.

Funds allocated to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria could be used to tackle neglected diseases that affect millions, say David Molyneux and colleagues.

Amir Attaran says that assessing the success of efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals means some 'immeasurable' goals must be redefined or discarded.