AFRIPOL.ORG IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
Below is the summary of the paper presented by Mr. Emeka Chiakwelu, director of Afripol Organization during the 14th Annual convention of Zumunta Association USA Inc. at Houston, Texas USA, July28, 2007.
MALARIA: A COMMUNITY NIGHTMARE, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN ROLLING BACK MALARIA (RBM)
BACKGROUND AND GENERAL INFORMATION: MALARIA AND MOSQUITO
Geographic Distribution
Where malaria is found depends mainly on climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, and rainfalls. Malaria is transmitted in tropical and subtropical areas, where:
Anopheles mosquitoes- the female mosquito which is responsible for malaria can survive and multiply in Nigeria. Nigeria is in Rain forest region of West Africa.
Malaria transmission and burden:
IN NIGERIA AND NORTHERN NIGERIA
Malaria is prevalent in Northern Nigeria
Malaria retards and decelerates productivity
Malaria causes infants and adults deaths that are preventable
Malaria keeps us poor and cumbersome
Transmission of malaria is stable and perennial in all parts of the country
Malaria is highly endemic in Nigeria and it remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the country with prevalence rate of 919/100,000.
Malaria accounts for 40% of disease in Nigeria .
It accounts for 30% of all childhood deaths.
Associated with 11% of maternal deaths.
In the northern part of the country transmission is intense during the short wet season and lower during the long dry season.
In the southern part of the country, transmission is intense, stable and uniform
throughout the year. It is perennial in the forest ecotype and sub-perennial in the dry savannah
ecotype where transmission is relatively low during the dry season (November/December to
April/March)
The economic burden due to malaria in Nigeria is substantial. Every year the nation loses over
N132 billion due to absenteeism from school, work, or farm and the direct costs of malaria treatment. Malaria is a major cause and a consequence of underdevelopment in Nigeria
(NIGERIA RBM Country Consultative Mission Final Report 07 March 2004)
CAUSE OF MALARIA AND SYMPTOMS:
Malaria disease is caused by parasites that are spread by mosquitoes. The anopheles mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasites that cause malaria in humans.
In adults, its common symptoms are headaches, weakness, fever, aches and pains, high body temperature (chills and rigors) and bitterness of the mouth (and loss of appetite) while in children, in addition to the above-mentioned symptoms, it may also manifests in more than normal sleeping, nausea and vomiting. It is a serious disease affecting children and adults but it consequences are graver among children and pregnant women.
(Ayodele Jimoh," Oluyemi Sofola, Amos Petu, and Tuoyo Okorosobo)
Nigeria can be divided to three major malaria epidemiological zones:
1. Forest zone - Southern belt
2. Savannah zone - Middle belt
3. Grass -land zone - Northern belt
Five states in Nigeria, Sokoto, Kaduna, Borno, Bauchi and Kano are called the arid zones states. These states are found within latitude 12 degrees north of Nigeria. However, there are some other areas which have some characteristics of the arid zones. The arid zones are known to have harsh climatic conditions, fragile soils, low annual rainfall and periodic destructive droughts which affect the population of man and animals in the area.
THE DIVERSITY OF ANOPHELES MOSQUITO IN NIGERIA:
The most dominant species of anopheles mosquito in Nigeria are anopheles funestus, anopheles gambiae complex, anopheles arabiensis and anopheles melas.
The dominant vector in the forest zone is anopheles melas
The dominant vectors in the savannah zone are a combination of anopheles melas and anopheles arsbiensis;
The dominant vector in the grass-land zone is anopheles arsbiensis.
Plasmodium falciparum is in all zones, it is not ubiquitous .
TREATMENT OF MALARIA IN NIGERIA:
The disease is often treated in Nigeria by self-medication, the use local herbs, use of the services of spiritualists/traditional priests or/and the use of clinic/hospital services. Similarly, common prevention measures include use of medicine (prophylaxis), insecticides (coils and sprays), ordinary mosquito nets, insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and widow and door nets.
(Ayodele Jimoh," Oluyemi Sofola, Amos Petu, and Tuoyo Okorosobo)
Malaria illness imposes great burden on the society as it has adverse effects on the physical, mental and social well being of the people as well as on the economic development of the nation.
In Africa malaria causes more than one million deaths each year. The majority who die are the children of Africa. Deaths linked to malaria in Africa are on the increase due to changes in the environment, movement of populations arising from political instability and civil strife, resistance of malaria to common and inexpensive medicines, resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides, and limitations in national health services.
Malaria keeps Africa's people poor. It prevents adults from working and children from attending school. Each year a family spends several months' earnings on malaria treatment and prevention. Malaria during pregnancy is also of great concern, since it adversely affects the mother's health and may result in a baby born too small to survive.
(AFRICAN SUMMIT ON ROLL BACK MALARIA)
Malaria in the USA
“People may not realize, we had malaria in the United States until 1946, and we were able to eradicate it “
-Mrs Laura Bush, The first lady of USA
"In the first quarter of this century, malaria was rampant in U.S.A. with nearly 6 million cases annually. Due to determined antimalaria measures and permanent vector control measures like screening of all constructions, malaria has been controlled effectively. In fact, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in U.S.A. was founded as the Office of Malaria Control! Since 1940 57 localized outbreaks have been reported. In1970, 4247 cases were reported and more than 4000 of these were US military personnel returning from Vietnam."
-Dr. B.S. Kakkilaya's Malaria Web Site
ROLL BACK MALARIA: STRATEGIC PLAN
People at risk can prevent malaria if they sleep under insecticide treated mosquito nets.
Pregnant women, especially those who are pregnant for the first time, can take medicines to prevent and treat malaria.
People can treat malaria with a wide variety of effective medicines, and they can cure malaria if they seek and receive treatment early, with effective medication, within - or close to – their homes, and finally,
Families and communities can be empowered to predict and prevent a malaria epidemic and contain it within one week of its being confirmed.
NIGERIA ROLL BACK MALARIA CONSULTATIVE MISSION:
ESSENTIAL ACTIONS TO SUPPORT THE ATTAINMENT OF THE
ABUJA TARGETS
20 – 25 October 2003
The following essential actions were identified to ensure that the Abuja targets are met and long-term sustainability of an effective malaria control programme is realised
• Formulate and implement a comprehensive MIP/IPT policy and guidelines
Implement subsidy for IPT
Design and implement mass campaigns for net treatment and re-treatment.
Supply and distribution of ITNs
Stimulate the private sector for production of PPDs
Design and implement comprehensive home based management of malaria
Building capacity of health workers and community based workers
Strengthening programme management at RBM Secretariat
Initiate and implement operational research to support RBM implementation
Develop and implement comprehensive communication strategy to support essential actions to
achieve Abuja Targets
Strengthening monitoring and evaluation
PPD Pre-packed anti-malaria Drug
ITN Insecticide Treated Net
IPT Intermittent Preventive Treatment
PERIPHERAL VILLAGES ( OUTSIDE TOWNS) IN NORTHERN NIGERIA:
* Set-up “Health farms” and Clinics: - Medical and Health providers:
Meeting people at the points of needs, at their
farms and place of works.
*Monthly Education and Awareness on Malaria: Organizing meeting with Community and . villagers. Leaders and Elders participation.
* Mobile Health units: Transporting medical units to the people.
* Media Campaign: Using the accessible FM radio to communicate to the masses.
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