Malaria back with a vengeance in crisis-hit Venezuela

CARACAS: If it weren't for the Center for Malaria Studies in Caracas, Francelis Pacheco would have been unable to get treatment for a disease she has contracted around 20 times.

This is a country that lacks 85 per cent of the medicines it needs, according to the pharmaceuticals industry.AdvertisementBetween 20 and 30 people a day from all over the country come get diagnosed and receive medication to alleviate the symptoms of a disease that can be fatal.Scientists who would later work for this clinic contributed in 1961 to helping Venezuela become the first country to eradicate malaria.

Over the years, fridges, freezers and air conditioners have stopped working and there's been no budget to repair or replace them. Maintenance costs US$1,000 a month. Despite this, the center continues to propose malaria research projects to universities in France, Spain or Scotland, which allows them to secure funding.

Oil production, on which Venezuela is almost entirely dependent, has dropped alarmingly in the last decade while the International Monetary Fund predicts inflation will reach a staggering 10 million percent this year.

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