Nipping malaria in the bud

Making malaria vaccine accessible to all in known hotspots is a giant step in combating the disease in children, writes Unicef communications officer ROGERS SIULA.

Malaria remains one of the largest killers in Malawi, with the entire population of 20 million plus at risk of infection.

Notably, children under five and pregnant women bear the highest burden of the disease.

The country accounts for two percent of malaria cases worldwide and is among the top 15 countries with a high malaria burden.

However, each day breeds hope to have malaria eliminated in at least 30 countries by 2030, according to the 2016-2030 global technical strategy for malaria.

Rebecca Kapulula, a health surveillance assistant (HSA) at Chileka Health Centre in the outskirts of Lilongwe, is one of the foot soldiers that continue to be vigilant in waging the war against malaria.

She has been plying her trade for 17 years, says there is a great deal of progress in stamping out malaria.

“The introduction of the malaria vaccine is a game changer as we have witnessed minimised cases in children. We are getting in the right direction, we are getting there,” observed Kapulula.

In 2022, Africa was home to 94 percent of malaria cases—about 233 million—and 95 percent of malaria deaths.

Children under five accounted for about 80 percent of all malaria deaths in the region, according to the 2023 World Malaria Report.

“Apart from getting children aged five years or younger vaccinated, treated nets have been distributed far and wide.

“We also work with traditional and faith leaders to ensure community members treat the nets and use them accordingly. These complement other traditional means of eliminating malaria which focus on a multi-pronged approach that includes vector control, prompt access to effective treatment, and preventive measures,” said Kapulula.

Three days a week, she uses her push-bike, conquering hills and valleys, to reach out to communities within her 10-kilometre catchment area with a population of about 1900. 

As the world commemorates World Malaria Day on April 25 every year, Unicef celebrates Malawi being among the 12 African countries that received the first ever doses of the malaria vaccine.

The first consignment arrived last October through the Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe.

Unicef country representative Shadrack Omol said this allocation is part of a larger effort coordinated by partners and with the support of Gavi, aimed at prioritising regions with the highest need.

“Unicef’s role in procuring and facilitating the delivery of these vaccines has been instrumental in ensuring that they reach the children most at risk. This vaccine, the first of its kind against a parasitic disease, has already reached over 1.7 million children in pilot programmes across Malawi, Ghana and Kenya since 2019. We applaud Malawi for consistently demonstrating leadership in public health initiatives,” Omol said.

Malawi records approximately seven million malaria cases annually, contributing significantly to outpatient visits across all age groups.

Despite these challenges, there have been significant strides in malaria control in the country, particularly through the distribution and use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and improvements in case management and malaria prevention programmes.

Efforts continue to increase the uptake of preventive treatments, especially among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children.

Malawi’s National Malaria Strategic Plan 2023-2030 aims at eliminating malaria as a public health concern by the year 2030.

“In pursuit of this goal, the government has laid out comprehensive strategies to increase the proportion of the population protected by at least one malaria vector control intervention from 37 percent in 2022 to at least 90 percent by 2030.

“These efforts ensure that all suspected cases of malaria are promptly tested and treated, and preventive treatments are readily accessible, especially to our most vulnerable populations,” it reads.

The National Malaria Communication Strategy for 2022 to 2030 also  emphasises efforts to enhance social and behaviour change, increasing treated  bednets use and improving malaria case management and prevention during pregnancy.