Roll Back Malaria
Priority of the roll back malaria (RBM) programme is to reduce the
morbidity and mortality using adequate case management, selective vector
control measures including biological, environmental and use of
insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and, intermittent preventive treatment (IPT)
for pregnant women.
Malaria still poses a major health risk in Somalia affecting
particularly pregnant women and children under five. The roll back
Malaria (RBM) programme has initiated activities, to reduce vector
density, improve response to outbreaks and ensure early diagnosis and
prompt treatment. Other preventive and curative interventions include
rolling out at great scale measures that protect pregnant women and
children from malaria infective bites with insecticide treated bed nets
(ITNs), and the use of anti-malarial drugs.
In general, due to integrated malaria control activities, morbidity as a
result of malaria has reduced remarkably as in the previous years in all
of Somalia.
In
2006, with the support of Global Fund (GFATM) for malaria, the Roll Back
Malaria (RBM) Somalia program developed a malaria control strategy that
was endorsed by the health authorities and supported by UNICEF, Merlin
and both international and local NGOs.
The main
strategy is to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to malaria to 50%
by 2010 and to provide effective and prompt malaria treatment to all,
especially to children under 5 and pregnant women who constitute the
majority of mortality rate. The anti-malarial drug efficacy monitoring
provided a new effective way of treating malaria cases in Somalia; a
combination drug therapy (ACTs) Artesunate and Sulphadoxine/Pyrimethamine.
With the new treatment, a rapid diagnostic test for malaria was
introduced to treat only the confirmed malaria cases.
In 2009,
malaria control activities through a community-based initiative in the
Lower Shabelle has been implemented.
Considering the need to enhance community ownership in health
programmes, WHO, through its Community-Based Initiative and Roll Back
Malaria programmes in Somalia provided 3-day training on community
involvement in preventing malaria transmission through the use of
long-lasting insecticides treated nets (LLITNs) in 15 of the BDN
villages in Lower Shabelle region. The training is a part of a wider
initiative to improve coverage and use of LLITNs. Participants will go
on to advocate within their communities, providing health education on
how to prevent malaria, as well as help to implement LLITNs
distribution.
27 health volunteers from 15 BDN villages attended the training to
understand more on prevention and treatment of malaria, and conduct
household survey to register the eligible families. ON the basis of the
training. Later on second phase of the project about 11.000 LLITNs will
be distributed by village representatives and health volunteers.
This intervention will target a total population of over 33000 people
comprising of about 5500 households who will receive 2 nets per family.
This project is supported by the Patient Helping Fund/Kuwait and Funded
by Mabarah Assayer Society.
©WHO/Somalia
National Malaria
Prevention & Control Monitoring and Evaluation Plan 2011-2015