Preventing Childhood Malaria Deaths in Mashegu

On the 19th of March 2016, the malaria outreach team from Physicians for Social Justice, led by a medical doctor, two nurses and one laboratory technician, conducted a malaria outreach at Tungan-Gari village. The visit could not have come at a better time, considering that the rainy season is almost at hand; the period when malaria transmission, sickness and death among children is highest.

For this particular outreach, PSJ collaborated with a faith-based group (Living Faith) to deliver malaria care (Rapid Diagnostic Testing, RDT, treatment with Artesunate Combination Therapy, ACT, long-lasting Insecticide Treated Nets, ITNs, and malaria prevention education) to the people of Tungan-gari village in rural Niger State. Pregnant mothers were also educated on the importance of sleeping inside insecticide treated nets and on the need to receive intermittent malaria Prophylaxis Treatment (IPT), to protect their unborn babies against malaria. For Rahamatu, a 5-month old pregnant mother, who has been longing to have an ITN since she suffered an acute attack of malaria at six weeks of gestation. The visit of our malaria outreach team made her dream a reality, as she was handed a DuraNet (a long-lasting ITN) free of charge.

As we celebrate our successes in reaching villages of the last mile, we know we owe our successes to you, our donors. Without you it would have been impossible for us to reach rural villages like Tungan-gari with life-saving health services and commodities. Some of you have donated over and over again to this malaria project; we are profoundly grateful. On behalf of all the communities we serve, we specially thank you for keeping our project in mind. The beneficiaries of your support are full of gratitude. Thank you for partnering with us to save lives in rural Niger State.