Halving malaria in Malawi
24 Jul 2012
New research from Concern Universal highlights the success of the Malaria Prevention Project- halving the number of new cases of Malaria in the Phalombe District, South Malawi.
Set at the foot of Mulanje mountain, the Phalombe District is one of the poorest in Malawi. The lush, moist landscape encourages mosquitos, and the community were defenceless against the deadly spread of malaria. In 2008, Concern Universal consulted the community and it was apparent that malaria was costing livelihoods as well as lives. The Malaria Prevention project aimed to reduce death and illness caused by malaria. Working at a community level, it educated people on the risks, provided and promoted the use of bed nets and increased access to medical treatment.
The research covers a 5 year period from 2008-2012, and uses data from the 15 health centres and hospitals across the district. In 2008, when the project started, the number of new cases of malaria in children under 5 peaked at 6,500. By 2012, that figure has halved to 3,000 new cases reported each month.
Concern Universal is grateful to the support of USAID and the Against Malaria Foundation for this project.
