While malaria remains a tough battle in the global arena, it can be eradicated, which poses the question of what strategies and actions are used to fight the disease, and what will it take to end it for good. Today, Rwanda joins the rest of the world to mark World Malaria Day, under the theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: Invest, innovate, implement”. Observed annually on April 25, the day highlights efforts made globally to put an end to malaria and addresses the need for continued investment and sustained commitment to malaria prevention and control. Reports by Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), from 2018/2019 to 2021/2023, show that the country is making progress in the fight against malaria. Simple cases reduced by 76 per cent from 3,973,973 to 998,874, severe malaria reduced by 74 per cent, from 7,054 to 1,831 cases admitted to hospital, whereas malaria-related deaths reduced by 73 per cent, from 264 to 71 deaths. Dr Emmanuel Hakizimana, Director of Vector Control at Rwanda Biomedical Center, told The New Times even though malaria cases dropped significantly, it persists and more efforts are needed to end it. ALSO READ: FEATURED: Rwanda first African country to fully integrate drone technology in fighting malaria “Measures are still being taken to fight malaria, like encouraging people to regularly sleep under bed nets, indoor residual spraying in various districts with a high burden of malaria, early and prompt malaria diagnosis and treatment with strong involvement of community health workers,” Dr Hakizimana said. RBC distributed bed nets in 18 districts that are not covered by Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and also distributed bed nets for children under five and pregnant women. Indoor residual spraying was carried out in 12 districts with a high burden of malaria. Rwanda also uses preventive interventions like aerial spraying, during which drones are used to attack mosquito larvae with a biological insecticide. According to the latest World Malaria Report, there were an estimated 247 million malaria cases reported in 2021, which increased from 245 million in 2020, and death cases were estimated at 619,000 in 2021 compared to 625,000 in 2020. World Health Organization (WHO) reported that malaria deaths in the African region decreased from 599,000 in 2020 to 593,000 in 2021. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, noted that eight countries, including Rwanda, are on track to meet the global technical strategy target. Fifteen countries achieved insufficient reduction whereas 20 have witnessed stagnation or an increase in cases, and 10 saw an increase in malaria deaths. “The pace of progress must be accelerated if we want to achieve the set for 2025 and 2030,” Dr Moeti said. ALSO READ: Rwanda bolsters mosquito spraying efforts to eradicate malaria “Usually, children under the age of five and pregnant women are the highest risk groups. Research conducted in Rwanda in 2017 showed that school-aged children, from 5 to 14 years, are to-date the group at high risk of malaria transmission in Rwanda,” he added. In 2020, a new drone technology was introduced to combat malaria, a partnership between the government and Charis Unmanned Aerial Solutions (Charis UAS), a local drone company. Eric Rutayisire, the founder and CEO of Charis UAS, said so far the drone technology has reached two districts and more will be added hopefully by 2024. The aerial spraying phase showed a significant reduction in malaria cases, according to RBC. Bio-larviciding— a method of controlling mosquito larvae in their breeding sites—using drones covered an estimated 33 per cent of the total impact on malaria prevention. In addition to the bed nets distributed in 2020, malaria was reduced by more than 90 per cent in areas around Kabuye Health Center, Gasabo District, where the pilot phase was first introduced, from 12,041 cases to 1,129 cases between July 2020 and February 2021. This year, World Malaria Day events are in Bukure sector, Gicumbi District, to raise awareness in combating malaria, as the area shows rising cases in various sectors neighbouring Lake Muhazi. Gicumbi was ranked second in 10 districts with malaria cases, with 3,331 of the total cases reported.
