£4 could buy 1 insecticide-treated net that will protect a child from malaria for four years. Insecticide-treated nets are particularly important in sub-Saharan Africa, where mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite tend to feed on blood during the night. AMREF’s work has demonstrated that when lots of people in a community use nets, child mortality can be reduced by 17%.
£8 could buy complete drug treatment kit for a community drug distributor. Malaria hits remote rural communities the hardest. Equipped with a drug treatment kit, community drug distributors can bring vital malaria treatment to Africa’s most vulnerable and marginalised people, even where they do not have access to a health clinic or hospital.
£16 could buy twenty rapid testing kits that will ensure quick and correct diagnosis. Prompt and effective treatment of malaria is a critical element of malaria control. In sub-Saharan Africa a particularly severe form of malaria, caused by a parasite called ‘plasmodium falciparum,’ is common. Early and effective treatment saves lives.
£40 could buy a bicycle for a community drug distributor, allowing her to treat and educate many more people. On average, most people living in rural Africa must travel 10 km to the nearest health centre. Community drug distributors are ordinary residents of a village who have been trained to identify malaria symptoms and dispense medication, so as soon as a child in the village has a fever they can be called in to provide treatment!
£80 could buy 100 communication kits to educate communities about malaria. The success of malaria control depends on communication. People must understand what causes malaria, how to prevent and the means to treat it. The best and most effective tools we have are culturally appropriate posters and presentations that reach people in their own language.
£200 could train 10 community drug distributors. In many parts of Africa there is only one doctor for every 100,000 people. Community drug distributors are a practical and innovative solution to the problem of health worker shortages. They understand the language, culture, and needs of their own community, and can provide regular education, diagnosis, and treatment. They are at the front lines of the battle against malaria.
Related: Afar Project | Luwero Project | Mtwara Project | Video | Hasena’s story
Photo: Dan Chung/The Guardian