JEDDAH: Malaria cases in Saudi Arabia have come down from 36,139 in 1998 to only 55 by the end of September, according to Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie.

“This is an unprecedented achievement realized by the ministry’s continued efforts to combat the disease carriers (mosquitoes),” Al-Madinah newspaper quoted the minister as saying.

Al-Manie said there were 466 cases of malaria in the Kingdom last year. He also said there was a remarkable drop in the cases of bilharzias, which have dropped from 1,031 cases in 2001 to 370 cases in 2007.

According to the minister, there were no reported cases of the Rift Valley Fever since the outbreak of the disease in the Kingdom in 2001.

Al-Manie revealed that his ministry was implementing a program to provide people with better health care through the opening of more clinics for consultancy and voluntary examination.

He said the ministry plans to open four new AIDS treatment centers in addition to the eight existing ones.