Tanzania: Malaria Proves Hard Nut to Crack in Kagera
SOURCE: daily news
Bukoba — ERADICATION of malaria is one of the UN's 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the disease is preventable and treatable, however, available data show that a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.
Worse still, if not treated early enough, it may develop into cerebral malaria. Once this happens, a child can slip into a coma and eventually die.
According to the 2008/09 Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey (THMIS), Kagera Region has malaria prevalence of between 42-45 per cent. Lindi Region has 35 per cent, Mtwara Region has 34 per cent, Mwanza Region has 31 per cent while Mara Region has 30 per cent.
Authorities in Kagera Region are alarmed following an outbreak in 29 villages in Muleba district which had already been covered under the Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) Programme. Several children died since the outbreak on may 25, this year while hundreds were admitted to Rubya, Kagondo and Ndolage hospitals, in Muleba District.
The Kagera Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Fabian Massawe, told the 'Daily News' in an interview that "there is a possibility that the female Anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria could have developed resistance after the Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS)," he said.
Mr Massawe said the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for children aged below five years dropped from 110 per 1,000 children during 2005 to five per 1,000 children during 2010. The Mortality Rate for children aged above five years improved from 182 per 1,000 children (2005) to 28 per 1,000 children (2010.).
He attributed the success to improved health delivery services and construction of more dispensaries and health centres. According to Mr Massawe, the number of dispensaries increased from 206 during 2005 to 239 by 2010, health centres increased from 21 (2005) to 28 (2010)l while the number of hospitals also increased from 13 during 2005 to 15 by 2010.
"The government is keen to ensure that more lives were saved through improved health delivery and construction of health facilities including dispensaries in rural areas where most Tanzanians lived," he said.
He further said a total of 560,484 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN were distributed to people in effort to control Malaria, which was a leading killer disease. The efforts include Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) and to provide measles vaccinations and polio jabs to infants.
Bukoba — ERADICATION of malaria is one of the UN's 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the disease is preventable and treatable, however, available data show that a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.
Worse still, if not treated early enough, it may develop into cerebral malaria. Once this happens, a child can slip into a coma and eventually die.
According to the 2008/09 Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey (THMIS), Kagera Region has malaria prevalence of between 42-45 per cent. Lindi Region has 35 per cent, Mtwara Region has 34 per cent, Mwanza Region has 31 per cent while Mara Region has 30 per cent.
Authorities in Kagera Region are alarmed following an outbreak in 29 villages in Muleba district which had already been covered under the Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) Programme. Several children died since the outbreak on may 25, this year while hundreds were admitted to Rubya, Kagondo and Ndolage hospitals, in Muleba District.
The Kagera Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Fabian Massawe, told the 'Daily News' in an interview that "there is a possibility that the female Anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria could have developed resistance after the Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS)," he said.
Mr Massawe said the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for children aged below five years dropped from 110 per 1,000 children during 2005 to five per 1,000 children during 2010. The Mortality Rate for children aged above five years improved from 182 per 1,000 children (2005) to 28 per 1,000 children (2010.).
He attributed the success to improved health delivery services and construction of more dispensaries and health centres. According to Mr Massawe, the number of dispensaries increased from 206 during 2005 to 239 by 2010, health centres increased from 21 (2005) to 28 (2010)l while the number of hospitals also increased from 13 during 2005 to 15 by 2010.
"The government is keen to ensure that more lives were saved through improved health delivery and construction of health facilities including dispensaries in rural areas where most Tanzanians lived," he said.
He further said a total of 560,484 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN were distributed to people in effort to control Malaria, which was a leading killer disease. The efforts include Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) and to provide measles vaccinations and polio jabs to infants.
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