Malawi on course to reducing child mortality rate

APA-Lilongwe (Malawi) Malawi is one of a handful sub-Sahara African states on course to reducing its child mortality rate by 2015, UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador for Malaria, South African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka, has said in the southern lakeshore district of Mangochi.

Speaking Friday to kick-off a campaign to distribute Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) countrywide to pregnant mothers and under-five children, Chaka Chaka said the mission by the government to promote the use of ITN, especially among the poor, has saved millions of young children from death and also put Malawi on heights to attaining the reduction of child mortality.

The ITN campaign is intended to provide 1.1 million treated mosquito nets to pregnant mothers and under-five children in the country.

She said the use of ITN was simple and an important life saving tool from the dangerous malaria disease which kills a lot of under-five children in the region.

“One child lost to malaria is one child too many,\" the singer said. \"We need to spare no effort in ensuring that every child has a chance to celebrate its fifth birthday and to grow up healthy and become a productive adult.\"

Apart from saving lives, she noted, the country will save millions of funds spent on importing expensive drugs to treat malaria. In addition, no child will miss school because of malaria, she noted.

Health Minister Khumbo Kachali said the campaign was yet another milestone in the noble objective of improving the lives and the wellbeing of Malawian children.

“This effort would further reduce related malaria deaths among pregnant mothers and the under-five children in our country,\" he said.

In 2007, Malawi registered 7,000 malaria deaths and four million malaria cases, a situation he said was possible to roll back if pregnant mothers and under-five children were encouraged to use ITN.