More Good News from Africa

So, the world economy seems to be falling apart more every day, multiple conflicts are threatening to spin out of control, and to top it off, the final innings of Game 5 of the World Series have been postponed, seriously threatening my own mental and emotional stability, as well as that of the greater Philadelphia metro region.

But, it's not all bad, and maybe taking note of some unremarked good news is in order. Africa, for instance, continues to impress. Not only are the continent's economies largely growing, but they seem about as well placed as any to ride out out the economic storm - and developed countries are, so far at least, pledging to maintain aid to and interest in the place.

So today's good news from Swaziland comes in a good context. The tiny country of roughly 1 million people looks to have managed to become only the second country in its region to rid itself of malaria:

Hot on the heels of Mauritius, health experts predict Swaziland will be the second country in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to eliminate malaria.

Malaria kills more than one million people worldwide, most of whom are children under five years and almost 90 percent of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria killed five people last year in Swaziland.

The SADC Malaria Strategic Plan -- a malaria elimination programme that aims to wipe out the disease in the region -- lists Swaziland, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia as countries where malaria elimination is possible. Swaziland is likely to be the first country of the four to reach this goal.

If Swaziland manages to eradicate malaria for three consecutive years, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will declare the country a malaria-free zone and issue a certificate of elimination.

As is usually the case, a combination of innovative policies, stepped-up resources, and high-level commitment in the country and the international community have all contributed to the success. There's still much to be done, but small successes like these give hope that tackling the bigger problems is worthwhile. And, despite being on a good trajectory, Africa is still afflicted with problems that far outweigh anything the rest of the world can imagine - all the more reason to take note of the good news when it does come along.