DUSHANBE, October 11, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- A three-day coordination meeting on combating malaria in border areas of Tajikistan and Afghanistan has opened in Qurghon Teppa, the administrative center of Khatlon province today, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Tajikistan.

Organized by the Ministry of Health (MoH) under financial support of the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the meeting is discussing strategic plans on elimination of malaria and the fight against malaria in border areas of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

The 300-fold reduction in the number of the registered malaria cases in the WHO European Region over the last 14 years – from 90,712 cases in 1995 to 285 cases in 2009 – is the most significant achievement of the regional malaria prevention program, the source said.

The meeting participants are expected to adopt a joint statement on intensification of joint efforts to combat and eliminate malaria in the area.