Zambia Pilot Demonstrates How to Save Lives, Scale Relief for Children Suffering from Malaria

ByCathy Green Senior technical adviser for community engagement, MAMaZ Against Malaria,Paula Quigley Technical lead, DAI Global HealthDecember 04, 2018The secret: motivated, well-trained community health volunteers.Thousands of infants and children in rural Zambia suffer or die unnecessarily from malaria each year because they lack access to high-quality medicines and proper medical care. But a recent pilot program shows how trained local volunteers administering crucial medicine can keep a child well enough to be transported to a health care facility for further, potentially lifesaving treatment.With technical and financial support from the Switzerland-based Medicines for Malaria Venture, the program —named MAMaZ Against Malaria or MAM—was built on two earlier projects: Mobilising Access to Maternal Health Services in Zambia (MAMaZ), funded by the U.K. Department for International Development; and  MORE MAMaZ, funded by Comic Relief. MAM introduced the medicine rectal artesunate (RAS) into severe malaria case management and trained community health volunteers in 45 rural locales in Serenje District, Central Province.During peak malaria season, the team identified 1,215 cases of children with severe malaria.MAM produced encouraging results. In its intervention area from November 2017 to March 2018 (peak malaria season), the team identified 1,215 cases of children ages 5 and under with severe malaria danger signs, with three children dying; this compares with only 22...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news