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The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie, says diseases, such as malaria and the recent emergence of Ebola, pandemic flu, and several others are fast replacing wars as the major cause of death, especially vulnerable children and the aged. He noted that the fight against malaria in particular had gone beyond a health issue, and, therefore, needs joint forces from the military and civilians to fight it. The CDS made the observation at a five-day joint training workshop of military and civilians across West Africa states at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Centre (KAIPC) in Accra on Tuesday. The workshop, termed �ECOWAS malaria elimination campaign: Civilian-Military collaboration training of Trainers�, would also pave way for member states to share ideas on best ways to combat the malaria epidemic. He hinted that efforts to eradicate the endemic had resulted in Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d�Ivoire being selected as countries in the sub-region to host the multi-million dollar bio-larvicide factories of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS). Bio-larvicide, a technology adopted from Cuba, is believed to be the solution to kicking the number one African most deadly disease, malaria, out of the continent. It is estimated that malaria cause about three million deaths yearly, a figure that actually scared the CDS to say; �The impact of malaria becomes clear when we look at human deaths statistics.� He said malaria had been eradicated in some parts of the world, and urged the trainees to adopt the same measures, adding: �The economic, health and social impact of malaria on any country, particularly, developing ones, is disastrous.� Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie urged the participants to utilise the knowledge, principles, and strategies deduced from the training to reduce vectors of malaria, mosquito populations, and the incidence of other parasitic diseases and infections. �A successful fight against malaria will have a far-reaching impact on child mortality, maternal health, and poverty reduction, which will contribute to security in the sub-region,� he predicted. The ECOWAS Commissioner on Peace and Security, Mrs. Salamatu Hussani Suleman, explained that the bio-larvicide is a pesticide that kills malaria, but yet is safe to human health and environment. She said the presence of the pesticide to control malaria in the sub-region was a collective effort by ECOWAS, with support from Cuba and Venezuela, under a Tripartite Agreement with heads of states to wage war against malaria. �We want to reassure member states of the continuous support of the ECOWAS Commission towards this noble project, in its entire ramification. Working together, we will make malaria history in our region,� she stated.