Meet a VHT who diagnoses and treats malaria among under five children day and night
Determined to wipe out malaria
Franics Komakech is one of the village health team members that diagnoses and treats malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea under the UKaid funded Strengthening of Uganda’s Response to Malaria (SURMa).
While the SURMa progamme started in November 2017, Komakech has been a VHT of Pawatomer West village for the last 5 years.
“My role is to diagnose and treat children under 5-year-old for malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea. When a mother brings a child to me, I first ask for the symptoms the child is experiencing and for how the child has been experiencing these symptoms. If say the symptoms for malaria are more than 14 days, I usually recommend the child to a health facility,”
Testing for malaria and pneumonia was simplified with the distribution of rapid diagnosis and respiratory testing kits respiratory, thanks to UKaid funding.
SURMa, which is implemented by UNICEF Uganda through local government structures and Malaria Consortium is a 6-year programme
“This programme has helped the communities a lot. 7 years ago, there was a lot of malaria, but it has gone done. The treatment for malaria is available and free of charge. The community members always come to me for help. Even at night when I am in deep sleep, a mother will knock on my door and I can’t refuse to open and provide treatment,”
The challenge of carrying out his roles and duties at night is the lack of a torch or lamp to provide light.
“Usually when a patient is brought here. We first have to look for light and it is not easy to find anyone awake. It is challenging,” he adds.
On a monthly basis, Komakech tests and treats about 20 under five children. Komakech noted that parents with children above 5 years complain when he doesn’t attend to them. “People in our community do not want to hear that these drugs are for only children who are below 5 years. A mother of a 6-year-old can come here and even when I explain to her, she will complain and go away unhappy,” he says.
Nwoya district has 930 VHTs, according to Dr. Janet Oola, the district health officer. She said that integrated community case management activities in the district had stalled after a previous donor stopped funding the activities.
“SURMa as revived the iCCM activities. As part of this programme, together with my team, we have conducted visits to the homes of the VHTs to help them improve the work the they. This was motivating seeing all of us from the district coming to their homes. As a result, all the 930 VHTS are reporting on time. Our reporting is 100% and we were told we are the best in the country,” Oola added.
Adiyo Nester Lily, the Nwoya district health educator revealed that she coordinates all SURMa activities at the district and community level. To improve malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea prevention, diagnostic and treatment practices by the VHTs, Adiyo works with district authorities to train the VHTs, supply them with the necessary drugs/medicine, conducts monthly meetings to review tasks completed and undertakes quarterly supervision at household level.
She added that all VHTs in the district conduct health talks according to the needs of the communities. The communities are also regularly sensitized about the roles of the VHTs, the age group and diseases they handle at community level.
Olivia Apio, 20, from Okir village, Koch Goma sub county has a 9-month-old son who has received treatment from their VHT three times. At 4 months, the baby suffered from fever and diarrhoea; at 6 month he suffered from fever and diarrhoea again and at 9 months, he suffered from fever. “Those times my child had a fever, I took him to the VHT who conducted tests. The tests turned out positive and he was given coartem tablets. For all those three times I have been to a VHT, my child has recovered fully,” Apio narrates.
Apio says the VHT system is very relevant in the community as it saves time a mother or father would spend at a health centre seeking treatment. “The VHT is a member of the community so when our children fall sick, we just go to here. The VHT teaches us how to bring the temperature of the child down by using a cold sponge. They also teach us about proper use of mosquito nets, promotion of hygiene and sanitation including ensuring we have toilets, bath shelter, rubbish pits, drying rack and others,” added Apio.
The SURMa programme aims to improve integrated community case management of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea; improve malaria prevention, diagnostic treatment, monitoring and reporting practices at health facility level; improve family and community knowledge of malaria prevention and care seeking in 25 high burden districts; build capacity of the National Malaria Control Programme to support the implementation of the Uganda Malaria Reduction Strategic Plan.
In addition, the progamme also aims to strengthen malaria surveillance systems and availability of quality analysis, use and sustainability of mTrac data, and improve district management practices and sustainability of malaria interventions.
The districts benefiting from SURMa interventions are; Kotido, Moroto, Abim, Amudat, Nakapiripirit, Napak, Kaabong, Nabilatuk, Otuke, Alebtong, Dokolo, Amolatar, Kaberamaido, Kwania, Apac, Oyam, Kole, Kitgum, Gulu, Agago, Nwoya, Lamwo, Pader, Amuru and Omoro.
