The day(s) we “stomped out malaria”…

Malaria Awareness Month of Events April 25-May 25 2016

Malaria Month started on World Malaria Day, April 25th, where the district of Kolda held a walk for awareness march through the city of Kolda. We, Peace Corps Volunteers, passed out candy with malaria facts attached, held a banner, and joined in solidarity to support the cause of eliminating malaria.

What is Malaria?

Malaria is a intermittent and remittent fever caused by a protozoan parasite that invades and ruptures red blood cells. It is transmitted through mosquitos, specifically Plasmodium Falciparum female mosquitos that are out at sunset to sunrise. Once a person is infected with malaria and this mosquito is in contact with the blood of the infected person, the mosquito can then transmit the parasite to each individual he bites thereafter. It is an epidemic. The best way to prevent malaria is sleeping under a tightly tucked bed net, with no holes, to disallow mosquitos to enter the premises to bite (and thus infect) the individual. 

STOMP OUT MALARIA, a group that Peace Corps Volunteers are associated with, plan and coordinate malaria events all year long, however, this past month has been especially Malaria filled because of a competition between regions of Senegal to get the most points. We do certain malaria activities and each activity generates a designated amount of points. It is a friendly competition to motivate volunteers to spend a little extra time on malaria prevention and awareness. (Surprise, this blog gets me/Kolda points!) 

I know back when I did the bed net repair and care tourney, I told you all facts about malaria, but I was to remind you of a few more facts before I continue talking about my malaria activities this past month. 

As you can see, Kolda is one of the highest national averages for mortalities due to Malaria in Senegal based on this PNLP April 2010 study for 2009 at 9.56% when the national average is 4.41%. 

This PNLP chart illustrates the incidences of malaria per 1,000 inhabitants in each district in the year 2009. The Southern Region, where Kolda is, is in the highest with more than 15 per 1,000 inhabitant. 

This chart illustrates that Kolda is in the highest of incidences of children under five who tested positive for malaria in 2010-2011. Children under five and pregnant women have the highest risk of morbidity and mortality, in general, not just in malaria, throughout Senegal. 

As you can see, Malaria is a huge issue. HUGE. 

If one person doesn’t sleep under his net and is infected with malaria, he can give malaria to everyone in the village, because he has then infected the mosquito with the parasite in his blood, that will be then transferred to each individual the mosquito bites there after. 

This month I have done a health talk about malaria prevention, bed net care and repair event, bed net beautification event, training of trainers in my elementary school, two murals, a school lesson (I am slowly bust surely getting over my fear of public speaking), cue-to-action drawings to help kids remember why they were supposed to sleep under bed nets, translation of several documents into Pulaar, a bed net photo project. a malaria soccer tournament, a medication supply chain assessment at my Health Post, container garden training and materialization, several social media activities. I wanted to more, but with time constraints and other project and peace corps obligations, I didn’t manage to two murals, grass roots soccer, Work with Youth
at Risk, have a meeting with a NGO to discuss and formulate a Malaria Action Plan. Although, I still have three more days, I might be able to get more of these activities handles before the Malaria Month’s Activity Competition is over on May 25th. Wish me (and the Kolda Region) luck!