Stakeholders in Dedza District have intensified malaria awareness campaigns targeting school-going children, particularly those in boarding schools as part of efforts to eliminate malaria in Malawi by 2030.
The initiative is targeting boarding schools where some students reportedly neglect the use of mosquito nets, making them vulnerable to malaria infections.
The Ministry of Health and Sanitation, through the Malaria Control Programme, indicates that malaria cases are increasing among school-going children, with 13 percent of them being affected.
| Enock Sakala
Dedza district education office assistant school health and nutrition coordinator Catherine Bunya said on Monday that the education sector is working with partners to strengthen malaria prevention efforts in schools.
“We are collaborating with the district health office, well-wishers, chiefs, parents and stakeholders in schools to spread the message of malaria prevention,” she said.
Dedza District Hospital school health and nutrition coordinator Elizabeth Magawa concurred with Bunya, saying combating malaria requires concerted efforts from stakeholders.
She said more efforts were recently directed towards preventing malaria among under-five children and pregnant women, resulting in a reduction in malaria-related fatalities among the two groups,” she said.
Said Magawa: “This is a crucial programme because we usually record more cases of malaria among schools.
“Consistent use of mosquito nets will reduce absenteeism from school among learners due to malaria.”
