afrol News, 10 August - US Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a grant of US $7.8 million to a consortium of NGOs led by Christian Children's Fund (CCF) to bolster anti-malaria campaign in Senegal. This brings the total amount of allocation to the NGO consortium for community health to US $20.6 million for program implementation over five years.

USAID has been leading the US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) - a five-year initiative that aims to reduce malaria in Africa by 50%. Senegal is one of 15 African countries targeted by PMI.

Malaria has been proven to be the number one killer in the world every year. It kills over a million annually. Over 90% of the deaths in Africa are attributed to the disease. The disease is the leading cause of death for women and children, especially pregnant women and children under five years.

CFF has been awarded US $7.8 million grant to lead a five-member consortium for the Community Action Against Malaria in Senegal in support of President Bush’s Malaria Initiative.

"Reducing infant and maternal mortality rates from malaria by 50 percent is the goal of CCF's malaria program in 11 different regions and 58 health districts of Senegal," Anne Lynam Goddard, CCF President, said in a statement, adding that about 880,000 children 0-5 years of age and 75,000 pregnant women will directly benefit from the new malaria initiative.

"This new USAID grant will go far in helping CCF and our partners significantly expand our malaria program initiative to new regions throughout Senegal," CFF boss said.

The consortium is supporting a large-scale community-based spraying campaign in three districts, protecting up to 630,000 Senegalese people.

Significant community awareness to educate families about malaria programmes will be conducted. During the first year, 200,000 treated bednets will be distributed in target areas of Senegal.

In collaboration with the Senegalese Ministry of Health, CCF aims to enhance capacity building of community based organizations, local health districts, and community-run health clinics. This will include training and support to regional health posts, nurses and community health workers in the treatment of malaria, using the latest and most effective medicines in targeted villages.

The package also entails programmes on improving access to basic health services and training of 4,232 community health workers and birth attendants. The consortium will work locally with mothers and children in the more remote villages of targeted regions in Senegal. The health huts are community level health outposts, which are often the only accessible health facilities for poor, rural families in Senegal.

"We have already seen significant progress in CCF's recent Community Action Against Malaria initiative in Senegal," Goddard said. "To date, the availability of bednets at the community level has increased three-fold. Children under 5, sleeping under treated bednets has increased from 40-90 percent in program areas. The percentage of pregnant mothers receiving preventive treatment has reached 90 percent in just one target area.”

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories