Malaria continues to pose a major global threat despite the efforts to eliminate the disease. The World Health Organisation indicates that in 2019, there were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria worldwide. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 409,000 that same year. In Rwanda, though the number of deaths have reduced from 660 in 2015/2016 to 264 in 2018/2019, numbers show 3.5 million cases of malaria in 2019; of those cases, 7,000 were severe. Making an effort to raise awareness on malaria prevention, HDI organised a campaign in a bid to fight malaria and tackle the hindrances that prevent malaria from ending, Aime Naganze, a social behaviour change and communication officer at Society for Family Health (SFH) Rwanda who attended a radio show organized by HDI on Isango star stresses that malaria is a serious illness and remains among the leading causes of death among expectant mothers and infants. With pregnant mothers, their immune system is weaker, so being exposed to any disease is risky. Being infected with malaria in this case, exposes them to so much. Malaria puts the unborn child at risk. There is a possibility of premature birth or death of the child and/or the mother herself, she explains. Malaria remains prevalent, Naganze says, partly due to reluctance from the public to carry out the required preventive measures. “At times people ignore what they should do to prevent malaria. For example, they don’t get rid of stagnant water, clear bushes or make an effort to sleep under mosquito nets. Yet if you follow those measures, it’s possible to prevent malaria,” she observes. Effective measures Naganze notes that it is vital for people to understand that fighting malaria must be a collaborative effort. “We will be able to fight malaria when everyone makes it their responsibility. We tell people that every time they see any signs of malaria, they should seek medical attention immediately. When you delay or don’t get proper treatment, you give it a chance to weaken your body.” Naganze also encourages people to make use of health services available. Malaria treatment is free for those in ubudehe categories 1 and 2, and for others, treatment is still affordable as long as one has medical insurance. There are community health workers everywhere at the village level—there are over 500 community health workers countrywide. In addition to these strategies, Naganze points out that there is updated research to ensure that existing treatment is effective, “mosquitoes keep changing resistance, that is why you see that even measures keep changing, for example drones have been introduced to aid in spraying.” The ongoing spread of COVID-19 continues to threaten the malaria response, particularly in the highest malaria burden countries, where the rate of progress has slowed in recent years. According to the recent report from the Global Fund, there have been significant disruptions to health systems across Africa and Asia in 2020 due to COVID-19, with malaria diagnosis falling by 31%. Dr. Athanase Rukundo, the Program Director at HDI said “despite the significant progress made in the fight against malaria, we must remain aware of what more we can do to put an end to this devastating disease. Malaria still takes the lives of so many every year, and all stakeholders must work together in order to reach the zero malaria target, while recognizing that as long as malaria exists as a disease, it will continue to threaten the poor and vulnerable communities.”
