Zambia to continue malaria fight

By TEDDY KUYELA

Zambia says it will continue implementing measures aimed at reducing malaria prevalence in the country.

Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao said Government is happy with the levels to which malaria cases have reduced in Zambia but that more needs to be done to prevent deaths.

Simbao (insert) said this yesterday on Radio Phoenix’s Face the Media programme.
He said Government is happy with the strides that the country has made in winning the battle against malaria and that it will continue putting in place interventions to ensure that Zambia becomes malaria-free.

“The current demographic health survey has revealed that we have drastically reduced malaria deaths by 66 percent. This is due to the number of interventions that the country has put in place.

“More people in the country have started using mosquito nets, especially the treated ones and the drugs that we are now using, such as coartem, have proved to be effective interventions towards reducing malaria cases,” he said.

Simbao said Government’s strategy of working with partners and communities has led to a positive response to reducing malaria.

He said Government has worked hard with its partners while communities have responded well to interventions aimed at reducing malaria cases.

Simbao commended the Malaria Control Centre for coming up with a policy of reducing malaria through free distribution of treated mosquito nets, with specific interest in expectant mothers and under-five children.

Simbao said Government will continue working tirelessly to fight malaria and expressed optimism that malaria will be eliminated.

He further observed that if people united, even cases of HIV/AIDS would reduce drastically.

“A new partnership between the government, international donors and the non-governmental organisations that make up Zambia’s roll-back malaria campaign aims to break the cycle, with an ambitious plan to reduce malaria deaths in Zambia by 75 percent over the next three years,” he said.

Simbao said Government is optimistic about Zambia’s chances of attaining its goal of reaching 80 percent of the population with malaria prevention and treatment measures.

He said the choice of Zambia as a country to test-drive malaria control arose from its commitment to reducing malaria deaths and its willingness to work with donors and other partners.

Simbao said technological advances, such as rapid diagnostic test kits and new malaria drugs, have also played a crucial role in tackling malaria in the country.

Courtesy of Zambia Daily Mail