By Cheji Bakari in Tanga
THE government in collaboration with the country’s medical research centres, National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and other stakeholders’ reiterated its commitment to end malaria infection by 2030.
During a recent oneday meeting in Tanga which also involved officials from the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, as well as the President Office- Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), it was revealed that efforts to end malaria are progressing well.
Assistant Director for Social Welfare Service (PO-RALG), Rasheed Maftah said the meeting was meant to discuss ‘Outcomes Evaluation on Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in School Children (IPTsc)’ hosted by National Institute for Medical Research (NIMRTanga).
Mr Maftah who represented the Director for Health Department, Community Development and Nutrition (PO-RALG) said the government has succeeded in minimizing malaria infection by 50 per cent, from 14.5 in 2015 to 7.5 by 2017, while deaths from malaria have subsequently been reduced.
“Together with these great successes, the national goals are to make sure the rate of malaria infection by 2025 stands below 3 per cent and to make sure we totally eradicate malaria infection by 2030,” he said.
He added: “In order to achieve such goals, we need to put more efficiency by using different scientific techniques according to biomedical research to improve and implement intermittent and preventive control programmes, aimed to control malaria infection”.
For her side, Acting Director of NIMR-Tanga, Dr Mercy Chiduo said the centre in collaboration with Belgium based University, Antiwerp in the year 2019-2021conducted biomedical research targeted to evaluate medical therapy of malaria to school children of between 5-15 years of age.
She said in the year 2020-2021, NIMR in collaboration with NMCP conducted research in Kilindi, Handeni Town Council and Handeni District Council covering 127 schools with a total of 90,000 pupils, which brought positive outcomes.
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