On Wings in the Night
29 July 2010,
Medair
Our multi-phase approach includes the provision of thousands of mosquito-repelling nets for children and pregnant women to sleep under.
D.R. Congo - A major new malaria prevention and treatment project begins in D.R. Congo
Thereze and her family fled from their home after the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army attacked their village. Now, they take refuge in Eti, a camp for displaced people, where they live in a shelter made only of straw and tarps.
But even here, they face life-threatening attacks from an altogether different kind of assailant—one so tiny that its deadly impact is often overlooked.
“The mosquito that transmits the malaria parasite may be one of the smaller insects on earth,” said Medair’s Dr. David Pitches, Medical Project Manager, “yet it kills more people than any other creature in the world.”
A Tiny Killer
Indeed, one million people die every year from malaria, most of them children in Africa—where one child dies every 45 seconds from the disease! These losses are even more appalling when you consider that malaria is both preventable and curable.
Spread by mosquito bites, malaria is a parasitic disease that causes fever, headaches, chills, and vomiting. However, if treated promptly, the onset of severe malaria can be avoided.
“People often try to put up with the early symptoms of malaria even though they may be incapacitated and unable to work or attend school,” said David. “But without prompt and effective treatment, their disease can develop into a more serious condition, as seizures, coma, and death may swiftly follow if the patient does not seek medical help.”
In D.R. Congo, more than 20 million people suffer from malaria every year, second in the world only to Nigeria. But with health clinics at least a day’s walk away for so many people in D.R. Congo, malaria sufferers are not always able to make it to a medical facility in time.
A Comprehensive Malaria Plan
And so this May, Medair launched a major new project in remote parts of D.R. Congo’s Bas-Uélé and Haut-Uélé districts to prevent malaria and to treat it swiftly when it arises.
Our multi-phase approach includes the provision of thousands of mosquito-repelling nets for children and pregnant women to sleep under. These nets have been specially constructed with a long-lasting insecticide that kills mosquitoes on contact and does not easily wear off, even when the nets are washed. These nets not only inhibit the spread of malaria, they also help vulnerable people to sleep more soundly through the night.
Furthermore, we are now supervising and training local health workers in 154 Medair-supported health clinics to better recognise the early symptoms of malaria and to provide more effective treatment. We are also launching educational campaigns to raise community awareness about malaria prevention and treatment.
Since pregnant women are especially susceptible to malaria, Medair staff are providing two short courses of malaria treatment to all pregnant women at our clinics during their pregnancy.
Free Health Care in Eti Camp
For Thereze and her children—three of whom have suffered from malaria—they are thankful to now be close to a Medair-supported health clinic where they can receive free health care. “Without Medair, it’s death,” says Thereze simply.
Malaria is such a dangerous and debilitating disease, yet it is also so preventable. Medair’s comprehensive malaria project is on its way to making a major life-saving impact for children and pregnant women in D.R. Congo. Please consider a donation to support this ambitious, life-saving project today.
Medair’s malaria project is supported by Swiss Solidarity, the Global Fund (via Sanru), and private donors.
As the longest serving NGO in the region, Medair has provided health services in northeastern D.R. Congo since 1997—throughout Africa's Continental War. Today, Medair supports more than 400 health clinics in the vast jungle regions of the northeast, bringing relief to more than one million Congolese people each year. Medair also provides comprehensive health training and supervision to hundreds of local health workers in order to strengthen the national health system.
This story was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.
> Donate Now. Click Here
> More information about Medair's activities in D.R. Congo. Read More
photos©Miguel Samper
