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Focus on Malawi: Progress and impact series Number 6 - April 2013

Countries
Malawi
Sources
RBM Partnership to End Malaria
Publication date
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Malawi malaria report makes the case for investing in public health infrastructure

02 May 2013, Lilongwe, MALAWI: - A new report shows that recent investments in malaria control efforts in Malawi have helped reduce significantly malaria deaths and cases among children under five years of age. Launched by RBM partners, under the auspices of Malawi’s vice-president, H.E. Mr. Khumbo Kachali, the report reveals that malaria parasite prevalence dropped from 62% in 2001 to 20% in 2009. Between 2000 and 2010 under-five mortality decreased by 41%, from 188 to 112 deaths per 1000 live births.

Successes in the malaria fight have been attributed, in part, to the existence of a public network of antenatal care clinics, where preventive treatment for pregnant woment (IPTp) became part of antenatal care services (FANC). Another contributing factor was Malawi’s sound capacity to conduct operational research.

Malawi was the first country in Africa to start treating pregnant women with SP in 1993, nearly a decade ahead of the initial WHO recommendation, issued by in 2002. More than 10,000 health surveillance assistants (HSAs) have been trained to date to provide integrated community case management. These health workers live in the communities they serve and provide a broad range of health services including immunization, growth monitoring, disease control and investigation and water and sanitation, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

Today’s report is the sixth country report in the RBM Progress and Impact series, dedicated to tracking progress in the global malaria fight. In addition to quantifying the successes in Malawi’s malaria control efforts, the report provides an analysis of how they were achieved and documents and shares good practice.