BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
A number of documents confirm that despite the successive reduction in the last two decades, malaria remains one of the leading public health challenges in Ethiopia imposing a high socioeconomic cost.
As to studies, malaria is found in nearly 70 percent of Ethiopia, with 52 percent Ethiopians at risk of the disease; particularly the rural community. Owing to this, malaria stands to be one of the top priority programs in the national health and overall socioeconomic development agenda of the country.
In fact, after the successful scale-up of malaria control interventions through the concerted efforts of development partners with Ethiopia’s National Malaria Elimination Program dedicated to improve malaria prevention and treatment activities to substantially decrease malaria morbidity towards the long-term goal of elimination, the rate of widespread malaria epidemics have been largely absent in the country since 2004.
Ethiopia’s Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP), which spans from 2021/22–2025/26 aims to consolidate the gains made so far, sustain and expand impacts. The program’s vision is to see a malaria-free Ethiopia. The country aims to achieve nationwide malaria elimination by 2030.
As part of this effort, the government has allocated necessary resources and has been working closely with local, regional and global partners to prevent, control and eliminate malaria.
Of late, nationwide community movement, ‘National Malaria Week’, that targets to prevent and control malaria was launched in Andasa Kebele in Bahir-Dar Zuria District, Amhara State with the theme “Eradication of Malaria starts from me.”
Speaking on the occasion, Health State Minister, Dr. Dereje Duguma said that among the Millennium Development Goals that Ethiopia has witnessed encouraging results in the health sector, the activities carried out to control, prevent and eliminate malaria is the one. However, following the wrong notion and assumption as if ‘Malaria is eradicated’ and limitations to appropriately use Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), failures to drain stagnant waters which are a breeding ground for the mosquitoes that transmit these diseases as well as negligence to spray insecticides and other related cases, the resurgence of malaria is seen in some areas which are more susceptible to the disease.
The Ministry, to control and prevent the spread of the disease thereby securing the lives of citizens, is working aggressively in collecting resources and providing the necessary inputs by coordinating partners. As part of this effort, in 449 woredas and 6134 kebeles located in the woredas and are highly and moderately susceptible to malaria, a week long community movement will be held; he remarked, which has, of course, commenced last Tuesday, on October 25, 2022.
As to the State Minister, currently, his Ministry is distributing 19.7 million insecticide nets to communities living in 6,134 kebels in 449 woredas which are prone to malaria.
Similarly in the coming months, the activities of distributing additional malaria nets, chemical spraying and drainage of stagnant water as well as surveying works will be carried out on a large scale by involving the community and partners, he added.
Mentioning that the procurement of additional nets has been completed and it is in the process of transporting, he urged all stakeholders, and those in the structure to work hard to achieve the goal set to prevent, and control malaria and bring it to the zero level.
Amhara State Health Bureau Deputy Head Abdukerim Mengistu on his part said that most areas of the State, especially where large farms are located, are vulnerable to malaria. Thus, the community should drain stagnant waters, use nets properly, visit health institutions immediately and correct misconceptions about the disease. He also urged the Ministry of Health and partners to further strengthen their support in providing resources and technical support.
State’s Public Health Institute Director General Belay Bezabih also said that the institute is working committedly in monitoring and evaluating activities to prevent malaria that is emerging in the State.
At the national Malaria Week co-organized by the Ministry of Health, Amhara State Health Bureau and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute in Bahir Dar Zuria woreda, officials of the Ministry of Health, and states, representatives of partners, professionals, students and residents of Andasa Kebele of Bahir Dar district participated.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER 2022
