LUANDA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Angolan health authorities have launched a malaria-control program using a new fast-acting anti-malarial drug in an attempt to combat the infectious disease.

    The Angolan Health Ministry has chosen Coartem as its drug of choice in the fight against malaria, which affected some 2.1 million people nationwide and killed over 11,500 between January and October last year.

    The head of the National Malaria Combat Program, Filomeno Fortes, said at the launch of the initiative on Thursday that the parasite-borne disease accounted for 35 percent of total health care demand in Angola and had a mortality rate of between 15 percent and 30 percent.

    He said the disease is also the main cause of death and responsible for most cases of day-off from school and work.

    According to local media reports, Coartem, replacing traditional antimalarials such as cloraquine, is produced by Swisspharmaceutical firm Novartis and is being made available to sub-Saharan African nations by an accord with the World Health Organization and the manufacturer. Enditem