In an alternate timeline, assuming a massive empire controlled all of the tropical regions of Africa, and possessed a reasonable number of urban centers, Soviet-Union-level wealth or richer, and had 1950s era medical technology, could this African empire eliminate malaria within its borders?
Assume complete disregard for the environment. So using the pesticide DDT, destroying ecosystems, drying out lakes permanently, etc. is perfectly fine if it gets rid of malaria and saves humans.
What factors, if any, make it harder than the eradication of malaria within the United States? What factors, if any, make it easier?