Rescuing Children From Malaria

The country continues to lose many children in the under five period on daily basis due to rising cases of malaria.

This is but a danger not a joke to all the concerned stakeholders who have the welfare of children at heart.


At a time when countries are anxiously waiting for Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACT), a new malaria drug yet to hit the market, government is on the other hand encouraging the use of Dichrolo Diphenil Trichroloethane (DDT) in the country to try minimise the figures of children that are dying from the disease, but there are divisions in the use of the chemical because some quarters blame DDT as being non bio-degradable and a source of pollution.

Tobacco bodies such as Tobacco Association of Malawi (TAMA) are against the use of DDT in wiping out malaria saying it would compromise with the quality and purity of the countries greatest forex earner, tobacco leaf.

Director of Preventive Health Services Dr. Habib Somanje defends government decision to use DDT to destroy malaria, arguing that it (DDT) shall only be used in indoor sprays.

Somanje observes that DDT can reduce malaria drastically as it sticks to walls for many weeks, thereby curbing malaria and saving the lives of children.

" Malaria contributes to highest deaths in children, its hard to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), malarial control strategies such as use f ITN's have been devised. UN and bilateral partners call for malarial control strategies using ITNs and indoor chemical sprays," underlines Somanje.

According to statistics 40 percent of all deaths in children are caused by malaria, as established in 2000 report by the World Bank.

Poor hygiene, lack of access to health facilities and non-compliance to health worker advice are some of the factors blamed for most of the childhood illnesses especially malaria.

Almost 35 percent of children in the country are sleeping under insecticide treated nets (ITN) based on ministry of health statistics.

The Integrated Management Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) policy that was launched by government recently aims to help accelerate child survival and development in the country among other things calls for protection of all under five children from malaria by ensuring that they (children) regularly sleep under insecticide treated nets.

It is also a prerequisite for caregivers to re treat the ITNs at least once a year.

National Malaria Control Program Director Dr Storn Kabuluzi indicates that DDT is the cheapest means of fighting malaria through insecticide residual spray (IRS).

" Malaria remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country, all people are at risk o suffering from malaria including the under five," Kabuluzi emphasises.

Minister of Health Marjorie Ngaunje observes that Malawi is amongst few countries in the sub Saharan Africa to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that aims at reducing infant mortality deaths.

Ngaunje said in an attempt to fight malaria among the children her ministry is distributing free ITNs at least to every household in the country.

" Over 1 million insecticide treated nets have so far been distributed. Currently the ministry of health has also procured large supplies of drugs and pharmaceuticals to fight malaria," stresses Ngaunje.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Malawi office supports the use of DDT in controlling malaria and says 500 million have been saved over the last 70 years experience and has accelerated economic development in Malawi free zones.

In Venenzuela (South America) 8 million cases of malaria have been reduced within 4 years of application of DDT.

WHO adds that DDT has no health or environmental risks when used in insecticide residual spray (IRS) method.

WHO says there is no convincing evidence of adverse effects o DDT exposure including toxicological grounds.

However, more stakeholders are of the view that children can be protected from malaria if DDT is used and want Malawi to be a registered DDT user.

They also call for the development of a cabinet paper registration with the pesticide board, resource mobilization, conduction of an operational research and the establishment of a multi sector task force to supervise the use of DDT to combat malaria.