Freedom From Malaria

World Malaria Day 2023 was marked under the theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”. At Charitable Incorporated Community Organization Uganda, we’re focused on raising awareness about the need to “implement” the tools and strategies we have available today to reach those who continue to be unreached across the rural communities. 

The rural communities face challenges on the road to malaria elimination. In particular, the epidemiology of malaria exhibits enormous diversity, with the disease often concentrated in remote areas and/or among highly mobile or hard-to-reach populations, including children, and indigenous people. More than 70% of malaria deaths in the Region are attributable to Plasmodium falciparum, often because of delayed treatment. 

Other key challenges in the rural communities include reaching remote populations in local communities, preventing relapse of malaria through compliant full-course treatment, and halting transmission of zoonotic malaria in rural communities in Bukedea. 

Reaching these populations with malaria prevention, nets, diagnosis and treatment is a critical strategy for achieving global malaria targets and delivering on the promise of “zero malaria.” Charitable Incorporated Community Organization Uganda is working with local community leaders and village health teams to develop and implement intensification strategies, such as targeted drug administration, fever screening and treatment, and rapid response to all malaria cases.  

Malaria success in the Rural Communities of Bukedea 

While much work still needs to be done to reach “zero malaria”, the Local Communities have had great success at controlling. In the past twenty two years, malaria deaths have decreased 88%.

Although antimalarial drug resistance remains a concern, the rural communities have seen promising results to accelerate Plasmodium falciparum elimination. All the three local communities where Charitable Incorporated Community Organization Uganda reaches out with support have been empowered on target to meet the 2023 elimination target for Plasmodium falciparum malaria and all forms of human malaria by 2030. 

Call to action 

Invest in efforts to defeat malaria. Funding should be prioritized for the most marginalized and hard-to-reach populations who are less able to access services and hardest hit when they become ill.  

Step up innovation.  Add your voice to those calling for innovations that bring new vector control approaches, diagnostics and medicines to accelerate progress against malaria. 

Implement the strategies we have now. There is an urgent need to make more effective use of available tools and strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria, particularly among unreached populations. 

Links:

• Provide a net to a vulnerable family
• Love a child those in food crisis
• Leave NO ONE behind