Chad launches preventive campaign against malaria

The campaign was launched in the capital N’Djamena by the secretary general in Chad’s public health ministry Dr. Hamid Djabar.

The campaign, which was initiated by the National Anti-Malaria Program, aims to give a full dose of treatment to children aged between 3 to 59 months, to considerably reduce malaria-related deaths within this age group.

Djabar noted that the success of the campaign will depend on involvement of everyone.

“It should be a matter for the whole community which should ensure that all children remain in houses to await the medical officers so that they can receive the treatment,” he insisted.

Malaria is prevalent across the Chadian national territory, but the prevalence rate is high in the southern and central as well as eastern regions.

In 2013, there was a sharp rise in the number of malaria cases which reached one million with 3,000 deaths. Children aged below 5 years were the most affected, with 175 dying out of 1,000.

To address this major public health challenge effectively, in March 2014 the Chadian government adopted an ambitious 5-year national strategic plan to fight against malaria.

The program, which will cost 240 million U.S. dollars, will focus on three strategic areas that include prevention, treatment and follow-up activities.

All these actions will help to reduce by 30 percent the number of malaria-related deaths by end of 2016 when compared to the 2013 levels, with an additional 20 percent reduction between 2017 and 2018. Enditem

Source: Xinhua/News Ghana