As disease rates fall in Africa, EU urged to maintain health aid

African governments are spending more of their own money to combat the AIDS virus, malaria and other health plagues – according to a new report by the United Nations’ AIDS agency and the African Union (AU), released on Monday (15 July) -, but a senior global health official says progress in preventing infectious diseases could slow if the EU and other donors skimp on their aid. While HIV and TB rates have fallen, the report shows that malaria deaths continue to rise in some countries and the insect-borne disease takes a particularly severe toll on mothers and children. The report comes 12 years after African leaders made a commitment in Abuja, Nigeria, to spend at least 15% of their national budgets on health and do more to prevent the AIDS virus, TB and malaria. Since then, domestic health spending in the 54 AU member states has grown fourfold – from $14 billion...