Stomp Out Malaria

In just a few days, April 25th, the whole planet will be recognizing World Malaria Day by raising awareness and re-energizing the fight against this deadly disease that kills so many people every year in Malawi and other places around the world. However, for Peace Corps Malawi one day is not enough, and the whole month of April has been marked as World Malaria Month. Throughout the month many volunteers have been doing a lot of awesome malaria work all around Malawi, spreading awareness and educating people in communities about this awful disease. In this blog post I want to share some information about this disease, but also share with you the work my community has done during April to help #StompOutMalaria.

Malaria is a disease that is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito, and affects about 3.4 billion people living in at risk areas around the world (106 countries). In 2013 the World Health Organization estimates that there were 198 million clinical episodes, and 500,000 deaths. In Malawi there are at least 5 million episodes every year and malaria is the leading cause of morbidity in children under 5. The Malawi Ministry of Health estimates that about 34% of all outpatient visits are due to malaria for children under 5 in Malawi. And guess what…..this disease is PREVENTABLE.

Although malaria is preventable it is still in the top 5 causes of death in Malawi every year. Due to the lack of education, poverty, myths behind sleeping under a mosquito net, etc. Malawi faces the challenges that come along with malaria. It seems simple to just sleep under a mosquito net. However, because “it’s too hot,” “I can’t get pregnant if I sleep under my net,” and/or “the net will give me bed bugs” (all myths) people don’t just do it. They would rather use their net for fishing and tying up goats, or covering their small trees, etc. instead of using the net correctly.

This disease is most prevalent during the rainy season in Malawi (the months of November-March) and during this time I saw the affects that this disease had on my community in Chipoka. My health center often ran out of rapid malaria blood tests and the medication taken when a person tests positive, students were absent from school and when I asked where they were I was told, “he/she is down with malaria,” I saw my sick neighbors and their children laying on their reed mat sick with malaria…and these examples are just the beginning. More than just this malaria is both a cause and a effect in the cycle of poverty of this country. Lack of education, people can’t afford the preventative measures (nets, screens, etc.), medication at the health clinics and district hospitals runs out and people cannot afford to buy it from the pharmacies….and because of this people get malaria, they can’t go to school, lack of education, can’t go to work, provide for their families. And the cycle continues.

So what is being done? In the years between 2006-2014, with $180 million in investment, the U.S. Government’s Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) has contributed to malaria prevention and control interventions in Malawi. PMI partners with the Malawi Ministry of Health and together they have been focusing on the prevention and treatment of this disease. This year there has been a national mosquito net distribution in every district of Malawi, providing millions of people with long lasting insecticide mosquito nets. In Chipoka, I helped my health center at one of our six distribution sites and we handed out a total of 2,023 nets, arriving at the site at 6am and not finishing until late afternoon. It was quite the experience.

This week my girl’s clubs also learned about malaria. Although they learn about this disease in school it was a good refresher for them and reminder of how important it is for them to use their nets they were being given later that week. Plus we played freeze tag, a game that was completely new to them, where a couple girls acted as mosquitoes, and a couple others acting as LA (the medication given when people are malaria positive). When I told the girls, “you and you are going to pretend to be mosquitoes,” I think they thought I was crazy haha!

Last weekend two other PCV’s, our amazing counterparts, Philirani and David, and myself held a malaria program using the Grass Roots Soccer (GRS) PC Malaria SKILLZ curriculum at the House of Joel Rescue Unit in a neighboring village. The time we spent preparing and conducting this program may have been my best days in Malawi thus far. I know that for us PCV’s seeing our counterparts who we brought to the GRS training facilitate the whole program for between 30-40 students is a highlight, and maybe even the reason why Peace Corps is so special. We have worked with these individuals, teaching them this information, but in the end they are the ones implementing it, they are the ones who make it happen, make it sustainable. I saw both David and Philirani grow so much throughout this experience, and it was really a beautiful thing.

During the program the children learned the facts about malaria, how to hang a mosquito net and other ways to prevent malaria, etc., while also having a blast playing games used as metaphors for this disease. We also spent time painting a malaria mural, singing songs, and reading a big book we made from maize sacks about two children who didn’t take the correct preventative measures for malaria so they got sick and couldn’t play, while their friend slept under her mosquito net every night and didn’t get sick. Overall the weekend was great and the children learned a lot while enjoying themselves.

Malaria is an awful and deadly disease that truly affects Malawi’s people, but also it’s economy. So many organizations are helping with education, prevention, and treatment, but there is still so much to do. Spread awareness, educate, and tell someone about this year’s #WorldMalariaDay on April 25th.

#peacecorps