The UN children's fund (UNICEF) is scaling up distribution of Long Lasting Insecticide-treated mosquito nets in Somalia as evidence shows that they are contributing to a decrease in the prevalence of malaria.
UNICEF Representative Christian Balslev-Olesen said in a statement to mark the World Malaria Day that the distribution of the nets has been made possible with support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).
"Evidence has shown that wide scale use of Long-Lasting Insecticide treated nets (LLINs) conferred the best protection against malaria in Central/South Somalia with an overall prevalence among LLIN users being 6.9 percent compared with 17 percent in those who do not sleep under a net," said Balslev-Olesen.
"UNICEF working with various partners has distributed at least 1.5 million LLINs across Somalia in the last three years and in 2009 another 350,000 LLINs will be distributed."
With an estimated 608,831 cases and 3,491 deaths reported in 2008, malaria remains a major public health problem in Somalia that requires a concerted approach for effective control.
The burden is highest along rivers and settlements with artificial water reservoirs where there is all-year-round transmission, mainly in Central and Southern Somalia.
Children below five years and pregnant women are especially vulnerable, accounting for the majority of reported cases and deaths.
UNICEF through its ' partners has been able to guarantee that these nets are made directly available to the communities and aims to ensure distribution continues in order to achieve universal coverage as part of the short term goal of the Global Malaria Action Plan by 2010.
The Global Fund has committed to financially supporting the UNICEF malaria program in Somalia, until 2013.
Due to increased poverty levels aggravated by conflict and the insecure environment in Somalia which has meant that families have no guarantee of a steady income , UNICEF has adopted a community mass distribution strategy by issuing two nets to each household in given locations across Somalia to increase coverage.
The nets are issued free to families regardless of whether they can afford the LLINs or not. Families are encouraged to hang up and use the LLIN every single time they go to sleep, particularly pregnant women and children under 5 years of age.
"So far, 60 percent of the targeted malaria-prone districts have been covered satisfactorily. The next priority is to complete the remaining districts whilst also replacing the LLINs in areas where it is longer than three years since the last distribution," said Balslev-Olesen.
Since 2006, UNICEF has trained health workers in the country on malaria treatment using Artemesinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT). This new treatment strategy is essential in order to replace those drugs that were showing a high resistance to successful treatment of malaria.
The distribution of bed nets complements this simultaneous strategy of effective malaria diagnosis and treatment which UNICEF implements through the distribution of Rapid Diagnostic Kits and supply of malaria treatment drugs to health facilities throughout Somalia from health posts to maternal and child health (MCH) centres and hospitals.
UNICEF Somalia is using the annual commemoration of World Malaria Day on 25 April to launch a mass LLIN 'Hang Up' campaign across Somalia that encourages communities to use their LLINs constantly.
The "Hang Up" campaign is normally carried out after the distribution of nets and educates members of households how to hang the nets, their proper usage and maintenance. It emphasizes that vulnerable groups (children and women) should be given priority when it comes to sleeping under available nets.
In commemorating this day, UNICEF said it will be distributing a shipment of 130,000 LLINs in Middle Shabelle, Sool and Sanaag regions.
As the rainy season fast approaches, this is a timely distribution to help protect tens of thousands of families at risk from this disease in Somalia, the UN agency said.
Strengthening effective interventions has led to cuts in the number of people contracting and dying from malaria in Eritrea, Rwanda, Zambia and Madagascar among others, which has the added benefit of lowering the burden on over-stretched hospitals and clinics, and having fewer absentees in the workplace and schools.
The report, a joint effort with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, shows financing is now available to purchase enough nets to put Africa well on the way to achieving universal coverage by 2010.
Source: Xinhua
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