World Malaria Day: « End Malaria for Good »

Cameroon will on Thursday April 25 2019 join the rest of the world to celebrate the 12th World Malaria Day with the theme “End Malaria for Good'.

World Malaria Day (WMD) is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria. According to the 2016 National Malaria Control Program report, the morbidity rate decreased from 29% to 23.6% and mortality from 30% to 12.4% between 2012 and 2016 in Cameroon. This is due to several actions carried out, namely, free intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women implemented since 2005, the free treatment of simple and severe malaria for children under 5 years since February 2011 and 2014 respectively and the reduction of the cost of simple malaria treatment in hospital to less than 300 FCFA.

World Malaria Day sprung out of the efforts taking place across the African continent to commemorate Africa Malaria Day. It is against this backdrop that nation will through a series of round table debates, sensitization campaigns and the free distribution of treated mosquito nets create awareness of this killer disease to Cameroonians as well find long-lasting solutions to curb this ever growing phenomenon which is eating the lives of people.

In a bid to curb malaria in our local area, we should:

• Avoid standing water around the house: this is a favorable breathing ground for mosquitoes, hence we should ensure to swipe away any standing water to avoid harboring these malaria agents;
• Always sleep under treated mosquito nets: the substance used to treat mosquito nets repels mosquito, thus sleeping under one you are safe;
• Use insecticide: always spray insecticide in the house to help kill mosquitoes at home especially about 45 mins before sleeping

Source: Wikipedia, 2016 National Malaria Control Programme Report