MALARIA: Zambia ‘making progress’ towards malaria reduction

By Agness Changala in Macha  20 Nov. 2010,
MALARIA Institute of Macha (MIM) research director Sungano Mharakurwa has observed that Zambia has made tremendous progress in reducing the levels of malaria by 60 per cent.
And Mharakurwa revealed that the reduced levels of malaria in Macha, Choma and Namwala have resulted in reduced levels of child and maternal mortality rates.
In an interview after a media tour at the institute organised by the Malaria Control Centre, Mharakurwa attributed the progress made to increased research that was currently going on in the country on malaria as well as the strong partnership with various institutions.
He also said since Zambia adopted Artemisinine Based Combination Therapy (ACTs), this decision was moving towards the elimination of malaria.
Among the ACTs are drugs like coartem and larterm.
Mharakurwa said the reduction was quite substantial, saying if this continued, there was hope that the country could further reduce the incidence of malaria.
He said his institute which was in alliance with 13 rural health centres with a population of 150,000 in Namwala, Choma and Macha had managed to reduce levels of malaria by 98 per cent.
Mharakurwa said research has showed 34 species of mosquitoes in the area and only anopheles arabiensis and anopheles funestus transmitted malaria.
And Mharakurwa said in the late 1990s, Macha hospital used to record 1,000 child deaths every year due to malaria, but levels had reduced to two or three per year.
He said in the three areas, 80 per cent of the mosquito nets distributed were found hanging in people’s rooms in a bid to protect themselves from mosquitoes.
Mharakurwa said the community had also cooperated with the organisation to visit the nearest health centre and test for malaria.
He said the institute was working with the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Tropical Disease Centre in Ndola, Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), Ministry of Health and many others in efforts to eradicate malaria.
And Mharakurwa also said funding was one of the major challenges facing the institute.
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