Zambia’s fight against malaria

Erick Kalenga / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: April 5, 2008

There is a great need in Africa to combat this deadly disease

We hear in the news about a variety of wars that are raging on the African continent. We also have heardabout the effect of HIV/AIDS in Africa, and this disease has killed many people, including children.

However, there is another disease that is becoming a leading cause of death in Africa, mostly with children.

Zambia is one of the countries with a very high number of malaria cases. This is a great opportunity to share about the challenge that my country of citizenship is going through. 

Zambia is a country that is located in the southern hemisphere of the African continent. Zambian climate is generally dry and temperate. In 2003, the United Nation estimated the population of Zambia at 10.8 million in the same year they estimated that approximately 3 percent of the population was over 65 years of age and 48 percent of the population is under 15 years of age.

The United Nation's reported that: "There were 99 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the U.N., the annual population growth rate for 2000-2005 was 1.16 percent, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 12,670,000. The population density in 2002 was 34 people per square mile. In 2006 the population was approximately 11.9 million with an annual growth rate of 1.6 percent. There are four religious beliefs: Christian, indigenous beliefs, Muslim, Hindu. There are more than 70 ethnic groups, about 70 local languages and dialects, including Bemba, Lozi, Kaonde, Lunda, Luvale, Tonga, and Nyanja. English is the official language.

The capital city, Lusaka, has a population of about 1.5 million. 
Churches Health Association of Zambia's "Program to Combat Malaria" reported that "Malaria is endemic throughout Zambia, which has extremely high rates of malaria-related morbidity and mortality. More than 50,000 people die of malaria each year and nearly 40 percent of deaths of children aged 5 years old or less are caused by the disease."

The national response to malaria faces considerable funding shortfalls, limiting the ability to respond with appropriate treatment and prevention activities.

The program addresses these financing gaps, in particular by providing funding to utilize the country's extensive network of faith-based organizations.

The program will improve the quality of care for people with malaria at health facilities run by religious institutions and will support efforts to distribute preventive materials.

Objectives:
The Global Fund reported that it has approved two malaria grants to Zambia for nearly $18 million to support its national response.

"As treatment failure rates with chloroquine have risen from zero in 1980 to close to 40 percent in 2000, the government of Zambia has become one of the first countries in Africa to adopt artemisinin-based combination therapy in its national treatment protocols.

This treatment has been demonstrated as effective in situations of high resistance and has been shown to significantly reduce malaria-related mortality," the fund report said.

As you can see by the statistic, children and teens are at risk of death if not given the proper medication or adequate prevention tools.

There is a great need of insecticide-treated bed nets, as well as the distribution of information, education and training in order to reduce malaria-related morbidity and mortality.

I certainly appreciate all the people, organizations and ministries that are serving the people of Africa.
May God bless you.

Erick Kalenga is an independent columnist who appears Sundays in the Star-Exponent. He lives in Madison County.
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