By Elvis Dumba
Chinhoyi – Plan International Zimbabwe has joined hands with the Ministry of Health and Child Care for malaria eradication in Kariba District where there will be mass malaria eradication campaigns whilst riding on collaborative action between the private-public partnership.
Mashonaland West Provincial Medical Director, Dr. Gift Masoja told a Provincial Development Strategy meeting in Chinhoyi that private-public partnership will go a long way in accelerating the total eradication of malaria.
Dr. Masoja said the government has made positive strides in eradicating malaria with at least four districts in Mashonaland West being under control.
“We need to have various stakeholders coming in and join in the fight of ensuring that we promote the eradication of Malaria in our province as malaria is one of the top ten diseases contributing towards mortality and morbidity in our province. As the health ministry, we have been carrying out various initiatives which include Indoor Residual Spraying and provisions of free mosquito nets to the public,” he said.
Dr. Masoja said in Kariba where some people sleep in the open due to high temperatures, Indoor Residual Spraying will not be ideal and they have targeted the district for free mosquito nets distribution for both urban and rural areas of Kariba District.
“We need more partners to come on board as we sometimes fail to comprehensively cover all areas due to resource constraints and other players should join in the fight,” he said.
Rameck Makokove, Plan International Malaria Project Manager, said they are supporting all districts in Mashonaland West Province through a repeatedly three-year implementation cycle.
He said the rationale of having some areas have Indoor Residual Spraying and provisions of mosquito nets in areas is a result of epidemiological studies as they also look at the burden of malaria cases in each area.
Makokove said Plan International is offering technical and financial support to the Ministry of Health and Child Care through a Global Fund grant that will see the organization capacitating health personnel in malaria control and provision of mosquito nets to the public.
“This particular programming also takes stock of the issue of gender equity and inclusion and how it affects malaria programming and recognizes individual sleeping spaces in a house. We are going to be giving out nets to each family’s needs so that all sleeping spaces in the house are protected and we are also targeting pregnant women and children under the age of one, so when they visit a public medical institution they receive the nets,” he said.
Makokove emphasized private-public partnerships in malaria control as well as other health issues in the country.
Mashonaland West Provincial Health Promotions Officer, George Kambondo, urged various stakeholders in Kariba to support the program and help drive malaria eradication.