About 270 million out of the over 300 million malaria cases reported worldwide annually representing 90 per cent were from Africa.

Out of the number over 3,000 die due to the high rate of mosquitoes on the continent, Dr Daniel Yayemain, Senior Medical Officer in charge of Public Health, said at Wa on Tuesday.

Speaking during the launching of insecticide mosquitoes bed nets, he said focus was eventually shifting from malaria to HIV/AIDS education.

Dr Yayemain said apart from being fatal, malaria could also result in abortions and premature labour among pregnant women and convulsions, epilepsy and mental retardation among children.

He called on health workers to step up their educational programmes on the use of the insecticide bed net since "prevention is better than cure."

Dr Yayemain said malaria accounted for 50 per cent of deaths among children below five years in the country's health facilities.

Mr Godfred Bayong-Tangu, District Chief Executive, said the high incidence of malaria in the country, was not only affecting productivity but also undermining socio-economic development.

He called for concerted efforts for the elimination of malaria and said, "We cannot think of eradicating malaria without conscious efforts at keeping our environment clean. We need to be hygienic to be able to curb this diseases."

Mr Tangu said the District Assembly would procure the bed nets for distribution to the poor and vulnerable.

Dr Edward Gyader, Medical Director of the Wa Regional Hospital, called on people to invest in the bed nets instead of waiting to "pay more money anytime you are down with malaria."