…seeks to increase knowledge on transmission of malaria particularly in pregnancy, promote use of long-lasting insecticide treated nets and good environmental health practices, encourage people to test before treating malaria and advocate for increased investment in malaria focused interventions.
The Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA) alongside its technical partner have urged all stakeholders in the Private sector, local experts, Civil society organizatons as well as Community based organizations to support all malaria interventions in accelerating the elimination of mosquitoes and malaria as this will significantly lower out-of-pocket cost for treatment.
This advice has been given by Mrs Ochuko Keyamo, the Country Manager Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA), Nigeria, an alliance of about 15 plus companies with interest in fighting malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa in view of the World Malaria Day 2018 which is widely celebrated on August 20th of every year.
In line with this, Ochuko also encourage stakeholder engagement as it cuts across leveraging on social media, print and radio to disseminate emotive campaign which seeks to educate highly-burdened African countries on malaria prevention and management working with the 2018 World Mosquitoe Day theme – No Mosquitoe, No Malaria.
According to Ochuko, CAMA campaign seeks to increase knowledge on transmission of malaria particularly in pregnancy, promote use of long-lasting insecticide treated nets and good environmental health practices, encourage people to test before treating malaria and advocate for increased investment in malaria focused interventions, hence, other Stakeholders are advised to follow suit.
“Malaria is spread by female anopheles mosquitoes, which transmits the parasite from an infected person and injects it into the blood of another by biting. For so many years, it was difficult to understand how eradicating malaria was feasible, especially in Africa where the
Anopheles gambiae mosquito is responsible for transmitting Malaria. The Anopheles gambiae mosquito is a super vector for malaria, having a long life span, feeding primarily on humans, and being highly susceptible to infection. Currently, Africa has the goal to eliminate malaria by 2030 by reducing the population of mosquitoes.
“To achieve this goal, rather than focusing on just the treatment of malaria, efforts are doubling to focus more on the causes of malaria; the mosquito. New tools are being developed through genetic alteration to control mosquitoes and eradicate malaria. By reducing the population of mosquitoes, malaria will be substantially reduced in Africa,” Ochuko noted.
It is however apt to note that, the World Mosquito Day was established in 1897, when the link between mosquito and malaria transmission was first discovered. The day aim is to promote awareness on the causes of malaria, its prevention, control, treatment and other mosquito-borne diseases. It also celebrates world-leading research on malaria eradication a well as fundraising for research into the cure of malaria.
Even as Malaria remains a major public health challenge especially in Africa and as the Region continues to bear 90% of malaria cases and 91% of malaria deaths worldwide, CAMA as an organization has encouraged all and sundry to join in massive online advocacy on Monday with informative tweets as well as follow conversations using #EndMalariaAfrica #MalariatoZeroCAMA.
“There is a need to leverage on private sector resources, capabilities and innovation to support government effort in advancing health outcomes such as eliminating mosquito-borne diseases,” she added.
