Malaria Prevention and Treatment for Children in Mozambique

Kyle O’Donogue: You're watching UNICEF Television.

Three year old Bonita Gomes’s life hangs in the balance. Her frail
body has been attacked by malaria and she is now in a coma. Her
mother, anxious about her high fever, took her 30 kilometers on
the back of a motorbike to the nearest health post in the middle of
the night. A rapid blood test indicated she has severe malaria with
complications. Quickly referred to the hospital, she was given a
blood transfusion and put on quinine.

Luisa Cumba: There is no doubt that malaria represents a significant health
burden in the province of Tete because it remains the first cause of
consultation, first cause of hospitalization and first cause of
mortality particularly amongst children aged between zero and five
years old.

Kyle O’Donogue: In Mozambique, a third of all children die from malaria and it is
the largest single killer of children under five in the country. In
Tete provinces newly renovated hospital, the Out Patient Board is
busy. On average, the small lab unit does 60 to 70 blood tests a
day. Malaria is a scourge in many parts of Africa not only leading
to death but also crippling productivity and contributing to poverty.

In the last few years, an aggressive strategy led by the ministry of
health and with support from partners like the European Union,
UNICEF and the Global Fund has been introduced to prevent its
deadly impact.

Aida Olimpio is six month pregnant and has arrived for her
antenatal consultation. It is taken her a days walk to reach the rural
clinic in Chiuta district. While she waits for her consultation, an
education session is conducted on the virtues of sleeping under a
long lasting impregnated mosquito net. Having lost her first child
from fever, she pays close attention.

After the examination, Aida is given Fansidar, a prophylactic that
helps to fend off the disease, iron tablets to help prevent anemia
and a new net to take home with her. It should protect her and her
unborn child for the next five years. So far the focus has been on
giving nets to those most at risk, pregnant women, children under
five and those living with HIV, but with the success already
demonstrating that nets work, the government is starting an
ambitious plan to roll out nets to everyone.

In Kaunda district, the scorching heat does not deter the thousands
of people who wait patiently in the hot sun to receive a net. Over
10 days, 30,000 will be distributed. The team from the ministry of
health has spent months planning how to best distribute nets to
every household. Going door to door, they have calculated how
many nets are needed for each family.

Barbara Kerstiens: We as the European commission think that prevention especially
of malaria is important. It’s feasible if people understand how
serious the illness is and then understand that by sleeping under a
mosquito net, they can prevent becoming ill and thus prevents cost
to the family, death of a child, death of a pregnant woman.

Kyle O’Donogue: The success of Mozambique’s malaria strategy is already leading
to concrete results. In the last year alone in Tete Province, they
estimate the number of cases has dropped by almost 70% and
death by almost 90%.

Four day old Anna sleeping peacefully, the mosquito net is her
guardian angel giving her the opportunity to survive the next few
critical years to grow up healthy and strong.

This is Kyle O'Donogue reporting for UNICEF, Unite for
Children.