Being given sufficient international supports, Africa can meet the challenges brought by public health crisis, said a report released by the WHO on Tuesday.

The report named "The Health of the People: the African Regional Health Report" is the first-ever to focus on the health of 738 million people in Africa, reported the Ghana News Agency.

"Every year millions of Africans are dying needlessly of diseases that are preventable and treatable," World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director, Luis Gomes Sambo said.

"The vast majority of people living in Africa have yet to benefit from advances in medical research and public health. The result is an immense burden of death and disease that is devastating for African societies," he said of the Report.

The report views HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, pregnancy- related conditions that kill mothers and babies and highlighted the lesser known problems of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension and other non-communicable conditions, such as mental illness and injuries.

The report says its central message is clear, "African countries will not develop economically and socially without substantial improvement in the health of their people."

On the positive side, the Report notes that there are signs everywhere that Africa is finding African approaches to solve its health problems.

The number of HIV-positive people on antiretroviral medicines across the region increased eight-fold, from 100,000 in December 2003 to 810,000 in December 2005.

The statement said river blindness had been eliminated as a health problem in the region and guinea worm control efforts have slashed cases by 97 percent since 1986. Leprosy is near elimination, with less than one case per 10,000 people.

Most states were making good progress on preventable childhood illness, with polio close to eradication and 37 countries reaching 60 percent or more of children with measles immunization, it said.

The report also provides the measure of the challenges Africa faces.

It said HIV/AIDS continues to devastate the region which has 11 percent of the world's population but 60 percent of people with HIV/AIDS. More than 90 percent of the estimated 300 million to 500 million malaria cases worldwide each year are in Africa, mainly children under five, although most countries are moving towards better treatment policies.

Source: Xinhua