Preventing Childhood Malaria Deaths in Mashegu

During this Q4 harmattan season, our malaria prevention and treatment outreach activities continued in six rural villages in rural Mashegu including Babanrami, Mulo, Sabon-rijia, Sahon-rami, Kaboji and Kawomulo. Our teams of IPC facilitators deployed to these villages continued their house-to-house visits to educate and sensitize community household members on malaria prevention practices (environmental sanitation), and encourage every caregiver and community member to seek appropriate malaria diagnosis especially for their children and pregnant women, as well as providing treatment for sick children down with malaria.

Because of your donations, between November and December 2016, we were able to reach 1911 households and 5315 caregivers with lifesaving messages including how infected mosquitoes cause of malaria, danger symptoms of the disease in children U5, need for early diagnosis, where they can access malaria treatment, as well as malaria prevention strategies including the use Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINS) and environmental hygiene.

Because of your support we procured and distributed 423 LLINS free-of-charge to households with vulnerable children under-five. Because of your generous donations, we acquired the tools and medicines that our team of clinicians administered on 7month old Rukkaya that saved her life. She had battled malaria for three days; her parents were losing hope of her recovering, before our team arrived their Sabon-rijia village. On presentation, she tested positive for malaria (using Rapid Diagnostic Test, RDT), and was immediately commenced on parenteral anti-malaria therapy. Three days later, she made full recovery. Children like Rukkaya owe their future to your generosity, for making it possible for them to live beyond their fifth birthday. The team also treated 207 other children U5 who presented with symptoms of malaria (after RDT confirmation) with free Artesunate Combination Therapy (ACT) in line with WHO recommended treatment guideline for malaria treatment.

Like Rukkaya’s parents, we at Physicians for Social Justice, are also grateful for all your support, and for making it possible for us to reach these vulnerable children. END.