MALARIA: Tanzania

Beside a large pool of stagnant water from a recent downpour stands a house at Kigamboni, a Dar es Salaam suburb.A woman sweeps her house and as several children play nearby. Although her house has a single door which is not covered with mosquito gauze, its two windows are well covered with gauze to protect her family from mosquitoes that spread malaria.“Is this your child?” I inquired.“Yes she is.”“How do you protect her from malaria? Is there any residual indoor spraying done in your house to protect you from malaria?”“No, I have never seen any residual spraying in my neighbourhood. It’s just God who’s protecting us from malaria,” explains Khadija Juma, a mother of one.She also says it is a bit difficult to protect her child from mosquitoes, especially early in the evening between eight and nine o’clock when she has to prepare food and ensure that her child has eaten. That leaves her child exposed to mosquitoes taking into account that Dar es Salaam is hot and she can’t afford mosquito repellents.According to the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), in 2007/8 nearly 20 per cent of Tanzanians under the age of five contracted malaria. This is equivalent to an average of 1,700 infections per day in that group. Prevalence in rural areas is more than double of that in urban areas due to, among other factors, low usage of mosquito nets. However, studies indicate that malaria prevalence has roughly halved over the past decade.On top of those efforts to combat malaria, President Jakaya Kikwete recently launched ‘Zinduka’, a campaign to halt malaria through the use of insecticide treated nets.
http://thecitizen.co.tz/news/3-features/1572-how-malaria-can-be-conquered.html