Malaria is the most important parasitic disease in the world. It kills over one million people each year - 90% of them in Africa. In Tanzania, malaria has such a severe impact on the health of the population that it accounts for a 3.5% loss in gross domestic product each year.
125,000 people die from malaria each year in Tanzania and nearly two thirds of them are children. Malaria kills more children under the age of five in Tanzania than any other disease. Despite its scale, malaria is preventable and can be cured effectively with the right treatment and early diagnosis.
Mtwara is one of the poorest areas in Tanzania. Here the under-five mortality rate there is twice the national average. AMREF and the European Union are currently working to combat malaria in Mtwara and ensure that fewer children die from this preventable disease.
This project, running from 2007 - 2010 aims to:
- Provide effective diagnosis and treatment of malaria
- Supply mosquito nets to the local population and training of how to use the nets properly
- Work with community health workers to prevent malaria and other key diseases and encourage early attendance at health centre
- Identify ways to protect especially vulnerable people including pregnant women and children under five
- Promote treatment of malaria within the home for the most remote and underserved areas
- Partner with the Tanzania Network of NGOs Against Malaria to influence policy related to malaria
This project is co-funded by the European Union.