The national malaria control program ministry of health and sanitation has engaged stakeholders in Kenema for their involvement in the national malaria indicator survey 2015. Philip Brewa data operator national malaria control program said they were using the stakeholders as entry point to the various communities. He said the malaria indicator survey would look at the use of mosquito bednet, the level of community awareness on malaria and environment hygiene among others. He said the survey will also ensure the testing of childen under five years for the malaria parasite, adding that the survey would guide the country in its malaria response. Philip Brewah called on the stakeholders to help dessiminate the message to the communities to enhance an effective survey. He disclosed that the survey would start at the end of June and would last for a period of 38 days. The district health sister Kenema Josephine Jeneh Saidu referred to malaria as a killer disease that kills every minute, more than a million people a year adding that majority of the cases are children. She spoke on the use of the bednet noting that some communities were using the bednet for fishing, bathing and more instead of sleeping under them to prevent mosquito bite. The stakeholders thanked the national malaria control program for considering them in the fight agaisnt malaria. They promised to sensitize their subjects but however expressed doubt that some community members would be freely willing to allow blood test for their children especially when they still have the Ebola menace in their mind set.
By Saffa Moriba
Friday July 01, 2016
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