Join the movement to eliminate malaria by 2015.
By Andrea (Dearborn) Peer, WV United States
Jamal Canverere is grateful for bed nets from World Vision to protect his children against mosquitoes and malaria, but he has a math problem. (more…)
By Collins Kaumba, WV Zambia
Chief Nurse Euphrasia examines, Kedric Siaduba (age 4), who has suffered for over a year now due to complicated conditions as a result of contracting malaria.
Euphrasia Malawo, is a nurse in-charge at Malima Rural Health Center (RHC). She says malaria is a great challenge in rural areas such as Malima in Zambia.
“Pregnant mothers and children are most vulnerable to malaria because their immune is weaker. Malaria causes miscarriages and in some instances it can cause a baby and mother to die before or during delivery.”
Euphrasia adds, “This is why we emphasize prevention among households through the use of insecticide treated nets. However, the challenge is how to make mosquito nets available for every expectant mother and child to access.”
Euphrasia says World Vision has been assisting with mosquito nets, which are usually distributed to expectant mothers. She has, however, pointed out that it has been difficult for all pregnant mothers and children to have access to the nets because the demand is high.
“Malaria prevention among pregnant mothers and children is important to safeguard their lives. Thus, provision of nets and sensitization should be enhanced. The challenge I have is that the government only gives the health center 50 nets to distribute to under-five children and pregnant mothers,” she explains.
Euphrasia says the health center attends to a minimum of ten pregnant mothers with malaria per day. She says however that they recorded high cases in February 2011. She treated 840 for under-five children and 640 cases for people above the age of five.
“In March alone we received 2,000 cases of malaria,” she quotes from one of the center’s record books. “I was receiving about 110 malaria cases of under-five children per week in that month.”
Euphrasia appreciates how World Vision has been assisting the clinic with anti-malaria drugs and mosquito nets which have helped to save the lives of many people, especially children and expectant mothers.
While malaria deaths are dropping in Zambia, it still affects a large number of children. According to the latest National Malaria Indicator Survey report released by Zambia’s Ministry of Health, “Malaria parasite prevalence was 16 per cent and severe anemia prevalence was found to be nine per cent among children under the age of five years.”
National statistics indicate that 70.4 per cent of households in Zambia now have mosquito nets. However, 19 per cent of people in Zambia die from malaria, including children.
Recently, World Vision donated one million mosquito nets to Zambia’s Ministry of Health. The nets will be distributed in Zambia’s Luapula province where it was found that few people have access to insecticide treated nets. The distribution of the bed nets in the area is targeting every bed space.
By Wezzie Banda, WV Malawi
Evinesi Taimu, Britney’s mother, used to wake up very early in the morning to make sure that she got her sick child to the clinic on time. Evinesi is in a queue carrying Britney on her lap as they wait to receive malaria treatment.
Britney Taimu, 5, lives with her parents and five siblings in a small village located in Chingale, in Zomba district, Malawi. The house in which she stays looks very small and is made from simple materials including mud and grass.
Kenesi and Evinesi Taimu, Britney’s father and mother, are farmers by occupation. For years, the couple has been growing crops including maize, cassava, and groundnuts, which they consume at home and also sell at the market.
In July 2010, the family faced a painful circumstance as their youngest daughter, Britney, was severely affected by malaria, one of the most deadly diseases in Africa.
The young girl sweated and vomited a lot, had some recurring fever and her body was growing frail.
“I was not sure whether my child was going to live,” explains her mother, Evinesi. “Her body temperature went extremely high and she was gasping for air.”
Evinesi is thankful to medical personnel at Chingale Health Clinic who attended to her sickly child on time. Besides this, she also gives credit to World Vision for the mosquito nets her family received through the local clinic.
Malaria, which is spread by mosquito, remains the largest killer in Malawi and other countries in Africa. Expectant women and children, particularly those below the age of five are the most vulnerable. However, the disease does not discriminate as both young and old are affected.
In trying to combat the disease, World Vision Malawi has been distributing mosquito nets to communities, families, and children in Chingale Area Development Program.
“In 2009, the organization distributed about 2,196 long lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (ITNs) to community members. These nets were distributed through government health centres and community workers. World Vision is planning to distribute more nets this year,” explains Mr. Osman Banda, one of World Vision’s field workers.
Evinesi recalls how she used to wake up very early in the morning to make sure that she gets in front of the queue at the clinic when her children were sick and before she received the nets.
“I used to wake up as early as 3 o’clock in the morning to cover a distance of about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to the clinic. I was carrying my sick children on my back and life was really tough. I am now relieved since World Vision brought us these nets,” she explains.
Realizing how important mosquito nets are, Britney makes sure that hers is always kept safe. “Mosquito nets protect us and it feels good to sleep under them,” says the young girl.
