Malaria Prevention Saves Lives

Helping to save lives through malaria prevention

I have recently arrived in Zambia to help our team prepare for the malaria season. After six months without rain the land is parched, though the mosquito are in abundance!

October is the start of the rainy season and the time of year when the government apply preventatige methods. Sadly due to the high levels of poverty there is a shortfall of funding and many areas will not be covered. 5 million mosquito ents are needed, most especially for young children and pregnant women, who are most vulnerable.

We are having a great deal of success in supporting the fight against malaria thanks to donations received from our supporters. Ths forthcoming  season we aim to help further reduce the number of new cases of malaria by providing mosquito nets and the new initiative which is proving to be most successful.

In the areas where we have applied the new insecticidal coating and larvicide granules only a handful of cases were reported last season, and zero deaths in children. In comparison other areas recorded hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of cases and sadly a number of deaths in children. 

Prevention is the only way to avoid getting malaria and when you are unable to take anti-malaria medifcation mosquito nets and insecticides have to be in place. Over the next few weeks we shall be distributing mosquito nets with the assistance of an Environmental Officer who is a volunteer for The Butterfly Tree. She will indicate the areas where there is the highest prevalance of malaria.

Our team are comitted to provising the most advanced methods of malaria prevention but need more funds to be able to reach out to more remote communities in Zambia.

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree Malaria Prevention