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 Background
The Artemisinin-Resistance Containment Project
 The containment project is an ambitious cross-border strategy to try to wipe out malaria in
western Cambodia
along the Thai border in an effort to, ultimately, eliminate the
resistant parasites from the area. This goal has never been attempted before.
Previous efforts targeting resistant parasites in Cambodia have been aimed at
reducing malaria only. The project was developed by the World Health
Organization working closely with the health ministries of Cambodia and Thailand, and many other
partners. In November 2008, the project received $22.5 million in funding
from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the initial two-years’ activities. Implementation of the project –
entitled A strategy for the containment of artemisinin
tolerant malaria parasites in South-East Asia
– began in 2009
Malaria Screening
at the fixed schedule Malaria Clinic in Chanthaburi
border provide malaria treatment and diagnosis mainly for mobile migrant
workers from Cambodia.(WHO/Nuttakarn Sumon)
Project target
zone
The project
activities are being implemented in the target zone (zone 1), and a much
larger buffer zone (zone 2).
Zone 1 covers areas
where artemisinin tolerance has already been
detected. In Cambodia,
zone 1 covers about 270 000 people in four provinces - all of Pailin and parts of Battambang,
Pursat and Kampot. In Thailand,
about 110 000 people live in zone 1 - in the border areas of Trat and Chanthaburi provinces.
Zone 2 covers areas
where there is no evidence of tolerance yet, but the risk is high because it
is close to zone 1. In Cambodia,
zone 2 covers nine provinces with a total population of more than four
million (excluding town areas). In Thailand zone 2 comprises seven
provinces with a population of nearly seven million, about 150 000 of whom
are living in malaria risk areas.
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