Malaria: concrete measures to prevent the disease and protect families
Intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women and a prevention campaign for children over the age of 6: measures are being taken to curb malaria in the Fort-Dauphin district.
Ankaramena, Fort-Dauphin. That morning, there was a long queue to be seen by Natacha Saholitiana Raivonjanahary, the midwife and acting head of the level II basic health centre. In December, during the peak rainy season, malaria in this part of the island reaches its highest level, and almost every member of the family is affected. "When malaria season comes around, we receive the same number of patients per day as we do per week in quieter times," she sighs. It is going to be a particularly long day, as she will have to examine fathers, mothers, children... in most cases, the whole family.
Marcia, 29, went through this a few months ago. She remembers this difficult ordeal as if it were yesterday. Being only two months pregnant, she was unable to access the intermittent preventive treatment that is routine practice to protect pregnant women from malaria. "I was hospitalised for three days because I had severe malaria. It was very hard because I had a high fever. I was afraid for myself and my baby because of the anaemia that the disease causes", she recalls. The intermittent preventive treatment is intended for pregnant women from the third month of pregnancy and is administered during monthly antenatal consultations at the basic health centre. Now 6 months pregnant, Marcia feels more reassured. "I can still contract malaria, but it will be less dangerous for me and my baby," she says.
At the basic health centre, medication for intermittent preventive treatment is available and helps pregnant women to cope with this seasonal disease. UNICEF, with funding from the UN Foundation, has made it possible for the supplies to be delivered, so that there are no gaps in the treatment. As a result, from January to October 2023, no pregnant women were affected by severe malaria, while very few pregnant women were affected by uncomplicated malaria, according to the malaria monitoring chart at the facility. "We recommend that patients take their medication while they are still with the doctor. That way, we can be sure that the treatment is being followed and that they are protected," explains the midwife.
On the eve of the prevention campaign
That day, it is also the eve of the launch of the malaria prevention campaign, known as the seasonal chemoprophylaxis campaign. Over four days, each child swallows a series of tablets to act as a barrier against the disease. The cycle will be repeated four times, until March 2024.
Jeannette, 60, is a community worker and the cleaner of the basic health centre. With her peers, under the careful supervision of the acting head of the centre, they are putting the finishing touches to the preparations. The aim is to make sure that every target child receives medication during home visits. This approach makes it possible to reach families who live a long way from the health centre, to provide them with information about the disease and avoid self-medication, which is still common practice. Community workers receive their kit, which consists of a cap, individual forms to fill in, a register and the medication.
"At the height of the season, no fewer than a hundred children test positive here. That is why this campaign is so important, because it greatly reduces the number of children contracting the disease," says Natacha Saholitiana Raivonjanahary. "As soon as the campaign is announced, families eagerly await the visit of community workers, because they know the risks of the disease worsening and are receptive to treatment," she continues.
UNICEF, with the support of the UN Foundation, has enabled all these products to be transported to the regional offices of the Ministry of Public Health, so that they arrive in time at the basic health centres in the districts.
