Fighting Malaria in Ethiopia
Around 21,000 vulnerable people in Ethiopia are to benefit from an Islamic Relief project to fight malaria. Every day, about 3,000 children worldwide die from malaria – a preventable and treatable disease that kills between 600,000 to one million people a year, mostly on the African continent.
Rural communities in Ethiopia are particularly at risk, with 75 per cent of land suitable for agriculture being susceptible to malaria. The twelve-month scheme began in July, in Ethiopia’s Ewa district. The district has one of the highest mother and infant mortality rates in the Afar region. The project is seeing Islamic Relief distributing government-supplied mosquito nets. These long-lasting and insecticide-treated nets will be provided to at least 3,500 families in ten villages, who will also as well as access to indoor anti-mosquito sprays – supported by 100 trained community members. Islamic Relief will also train five local health office staff on early diagnosis and effective treatment of malaria, and help health professionals promote malaria prevention with a series of public talks. Two ‘prevent and control’ campaigns will be launched, with four school health clubs trained and mobilised and information leaflets distributed across the communities.
