Mass drug campaign needed to fight malaria in Ebola countries

Mass drug treatment for malaria is a key step towards preventing a rise in the mosquito-borne disease in Ebola-stricken countries and to ease the burden on medical staff, a leading disease control expert said on Tuesday.

Sierra Leone began a campaign on Friday to protect 2.4 million people - nearly half its population - from malaria, reducing pressure on health services from people visiting clinics wrongly fearing they have Ebola.