European MPs Condemn Bottlenecks In Malaria Fight
By Kini Nsom
Members of the European Parliamentary Forum who were on a study tour on malaria in Cameroon recently, have identified administrative bottlenecks as one of the obstacles that slow down the fight against the disease.
The MPs made their point during a press conference at the Bastos Headquarters of the Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria, CCAM, in Yaounde to mark the end of their visit. One of the MPs, Hon. Isaura Navarro, who is a Member of the Spanish Parliament, said the local authorities need to get rid of administrative lapses in order to accelerate the fight against malaria. She also cited lack of human resources as an impediment to the onslaught against the disease.
On her part, Matilda Stalbert from Sweden malaria remains the greatest killer and also slows down development in the country. She said Cameroon 's challenge is to make sure that every single person sleeps under an insecticide-treated mosquito net.
The delegation that was made up of Dr. Karl Addicks from Germany, Neil Datta from Belgium, Jadryga Zinkerictute from Lithuania and Silvia Theodoridis from Belgium, visited Akonolinga in the Centre Province, Bamenda and Bali in the Northwest Province, to assess efforts made at fighting the disease.
The District Medical Officer for Bali hospital, Dr. Pius Kwoh, told the MPs on August 29, that malaria remains the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in the area. He said 10 out of 19 deaths in hospitals are caused by malaria. Dr. Kwoh declared that the fight against malaria remains a very big challenge in Bali .
He said although treatment has been subsidised by the Global Health Fund to cost only FCFA 600, a majority of the people are still too poor to afford for this amount. The doctor was equally ill at ease that many people who have mosquito nets to prevent malaria, complain that they do not have FCFA 500 to treat them with insecticides. He said he would be grateful if the insecticide-treated mosquito nets are given free of charge.
Dr. Kwoh said for the past two years, the hospital has not received mosquito nets that are supposed to be distributed to pregnant women for free.During a working session with the MPs on August 28 at Ayaba Hotel, the Coordinator of the National Malaria Programme in the Northwest, Dr. Charlotte Odile Tchekountouo, said the Northwest remains an endemic malaria zone.
According to Dr. Tchekountouo, their priority actions on the prevention of the disease, has targeted over 379 776 children aged 0-5 and over 105 493 pregnant women. She said they were working with NGOs to overcome the challenges facing them in the fight against malaria.
Their objective, she stated, is to make sure that 80% of children aged 0-5 and 60% of pregnant women sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets. She held that they need more financial and technical support to make their sensitisation.
Virtually the same story was told the visiting MPs in Akonolinga on August 27. Dr. François Sihom of the Akonolinga District Hospital in the Nyong and Mfoumom Dvision said the place is a swampy mosquito-invested area that makes malaria the greatest cause of illness and death.
He said people still die of malaria because they are either ignorant about how to prevent the disease or lack money to treat it. He also highlighted the lack of personnel as a major hindrance in his hospital but stated that more often people lack FCFA 600 to buy the amordiaquine-Artesunate combination that effectively treats malaria now.
Everywhere the MPs went, community based NGOs demonstrated the efforts they were making to ensure that the population prevents malaria.After assessing the malaria situation in the country, the MPs promised to accelerate malaria advocacy in their various parliaments.
The MPs were accompanied by CCAM's Executive Director, Prof. Rose Leke and the Coordinator of the National Malaria Control Programme Dr. Raphael Okalla,The MPs were also received in audiences by top officials of Cameroon during which they discussed strategies to prevent malaria.
MALARIA: A DISEASE WITHOUT BORDERS
The theme of the first-ever World Malaria Day 2008 has been a subject of discussion. It is pregnant with a lot of meaning, calling all and sundry to join in the global crusade against malaria. In order to capture the true image of malaria in Cameroon, Kini Nsom of The Post attempts an analysis of this year's theme of the WMD.
MALARIA, DISEASE OF AND CAUSE OF POVERTY
It is a general African belief that malaria and poverty are intimate bed fellows. This alone constitutes a major obstacle against the malaria fight. Interestingly, money that can used to foster economic growth in Africa is spent to combat the killer disease. Besides, many a household cannot afford money for medication or to procure insecticide treated mosquito nets and so they suffer and die in penury. The sad story of the untimely death of Hawadak only goes a long way to show how devastating malaria is.
