Malaria is an old disease, and not unfamiliar to the people of Lwala, Migori county, Nyanza province, situated in Kenya, East Africa. The most vulnerable are pregnant women and young children.The Lwala Community Alliance have reduced the rate of under 5 mortality to 20% of what it was 10 years ago, and about 30% of what it is in Migori county (reported 29 deaths/ 1000 in 2018) https://lwala.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Lwala-2018-Annual-Report.pdf
Of the scourges that remain, malaria is one of them.
The mosquito types responsible for malaria in the area are A. gambiae spp and A. arabiensis spp. To complete it’s life cycle, the mosquito requires water, or an aquatic environment to develop it’s larvae. This insect therefore seeks to lay it’s eggs in pools of fresh water, abundant in the area due to Lake Victoria, and important source of the local staple fish, and areas of underdeveloped grassland surrounding the lake and village. https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2875-9-62
WHO reported 219 million cases of malaria world wide, with 435,000 deaths in the same year. In this day and age, malaria remains burdensome in 11 countries, 10 of them being in Africa. WHO recommends a focused response. https:// who.int/malaria/en/. I advocate a focus on prevention by eradicating mosquitoes and episodes of mosquito bites in the region. WHO vector control guidelines run along the idea of chemical and biological larvicides, topical repellents,and personal protective measures, such as bed nets, wearing long sleeves and pants (hard to do in the heat of Migori), bug spray and insecticide treated nets. These are effective.
Let’s start by making sure they do by scaling up this program, so that the number of nets corresponds with the number of individuals per household.
Lwala is an active community, and while use of nets will eliminate night feeders such as A. gambiae , little children will be susceptible to mosquito bites given that they are outdoors nearly daily helping with activities such as fishing, goat herding, fetching water and so forth. That is why active programs for mosquito eradication make so much sense in the region. While promoting personal prevention measures such as the use of “bugspray” containing effective substances such as DEET, efforts by the Bill and Melissa gates foundation, through the Malaria R&D (research and development) active since 2004, have devoted over $323 million dollars, about 20% ($50.4 million) of which has gone to the Innovative Vector Control Consortium, (IVCC) led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. The aim is to fast track improved insecticides, both biological and chemical, and other measures of vector control. I suggest that partnership with the IVCC be scaled up in the area, allowing Lwala to be first line in any benefits thereof. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2010/11/IVCC-Develops-New-Public-Health-Insecticides, https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2005/10/Gates-Foundation-Commits-2583-Million-for-Malaria-Research
Finally, it’s official. Research endorses use of nets and indoor residual spraying as an effective way to reduce malaria density. https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-016-1214-9. This should be coupled with house improvement, since much of traditional and poverty-maintained materials, allow environments in which the mosquito can hide, to come out later to feed, and even breed. In Migori county, 72% of the homes have earth floors, 76% have corrugated roofs, and 21% have grass-thatched roofs. file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Migori%20County.pdf
All these promote a healthy habitat for the mosquito during the rainy season, and easy entry and hiding places all year round. Funding to improve house types so that locally-sourced but sturdy, water-proof homes can be built, will eliminate opportunities for the mosquito to access and bite young children.
Let’s get stakeholders vested in this effective, yet economical way to address malaria deaths in the youngest children. Starting now, funding should be diverted from costly treatments with ever mounting resistance patterns, to causing extinction of the Anopheles mosquito in Migori county. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”http://drjarodhalldpt.blogspot.com/2018/02/an-ounce-of-prevention-is-worth-pound.html
Erin Fleming has recently posted a perspective on the new malaria vaccine intervention testing at “Social, Cultural & Behavioral Issues in PHC & Global Health.” See her observations below.
Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases. In Malawi, it is endemic across 95 percent of the country and is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality across all ages, and has a disproportionate impact on children under 5. In collaboration with many international partners such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Malawian Ministry of Health’s Malaria Control Program has been combating malaria for years by scaling up distribution of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women (IPTp) using sulfoxide-pyrimethamine (SP), and insecticide-treated net (ITNs) based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) malaria guidelines and national level policies. But now, they may potentially have another tool to add to their existing package of services, a malaria vaccine!
Moms waiting for the malaria vaccine for their children in Malawi.
On April 23, 2019, Malawi, 1 of 3 countries selected for the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) pilot rolled out RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) – also known as Mosquirix , as part of their routine immunization for children under 5. It has been met with great excitement, as early speculation is that the vaccine could be a gamechanger in the fight against malaria. But there is still a way to go, four years to be exact after the completion of the pilot and research, before we know for sure. IF the pilot findings present positive results, i.e. higher levels of efficacy and effectiveness, does not have any severe adverse health effects, and can be incorporated into national immunization programs, then yes, we may have on our hands a new control to help reduce severe malaria morbidity and mortality in children under 5 in a significant way.
Now, despite my excitement regarding the potential impact RTS,S could have on malaria on childhood morbidity and mortality, it is too soon to tell. I am supportive of the vaccine pilot and the potential inclusion into policies and see the life changing benefits for patients, but with reservations. And, perhaps I am taking a more conservative stance based on my experience working and living in sub-Saharan Africa, seeing firsthand some of the systemic issues (i.e. lack of human resources, funding, poor infrastructure – in particular supply chain management, and government commitment) that continue to plague the efforts being made to improve health service delivery – all of which directly impacts routine immunization programs. That said, I’m eager to see what the pilot results yield, in particular as it relates to the economic and operational feasibility of implementation in low-income countries who are the hardest hit by malaria.
But while we wait, we must not lose track of continuing to implement existing prevention approaches and enforcing adherence to treatment guidelines, especially as we know malaria is on the rise again in Malawi, and around the world. There still needs to be significant increases of support and investment from cooperating governments and international stakeholders in improved surveillance systems and research on some of the challenges we’re encountering with existing methodologies, i.e. increased insecticide and anti-malarial drug resistance, and the biggest “unknown” of them all, how climate change will impact the mosquito burden and potentially increase the reach of this deadly disease globally.
Eyelachew Desta shares thoughts as a guest blogger in time for Mothers’ Day. Concern is expressed about ensuring increased access for low cost essential lifesaving Maternal newborn and child health supplies in Ethiopia. This posting appeared originally at Social & Cultural Basis for Community and Primary Health Programs.
Can you imagine? At this time of Mother’s Day celebration, there are thousands of women living in low income country , unlucky to be a mother to enjoy the celebration of mother’s day because of preventable birth complications due to lack of accesses to essential low cost medicines and commodities necessary for maternal, Child and New born Health. One of these low-income countries is Ethiopia where maternal and child mortality is still high.
According to an analysis published by Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC), a quarter of all deaths between 2009 and 2013 occurred in Ethiopia are maternal mortality. This study indicated “postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)— uncontrolled bleeding after childbirth—and preeclampsia/eclampsia (PP/E)- a condition which causes high blood pressure and seizures during pregnancy”, among others, are the two leading causes of maternal deaths in Ethiopia ,could be treated by low cost and effective medicines, Oxytocin and Misoprostol.
See Photo Credit for UNICEF
The availability of accessible, reliable and low cost essential maternal health commodities is indispensable to address maternal and child mortality in Ethiopia. However according to an assessment study conducted in Ethiopia, there are gaps in the supply chain management of commodities for maternal, neonatal, and child health.
According to this study one of these gaps is “The supply chain system for MNCH commodities is inconsistent and has not been integrated into the Integrated Pharmaceutical Logistics System (IPLS)” of Ethiopia. Further the study indicated that family planning, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria have been included in this IPLS, but not MNCH commodities. This study also identified that there is a lack of common understanding at lower level of the health system about the national policy and protocols as well as its implementation to provide MNCH services and commodities free of charge at primary health care units.
To address these gaps, there is a need of immediate actions as well as strong commitment among all stakeholders involved and engaged in the funding, monitoring, regulating and administering the logistic supply of MNCH commodities in Ethiopia. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) should develop a strategy to provide continues education and training at all levels of the health system about its policy of provision of MNCH services and commodities free of charge at primary health care units , ensure policy protocols are implemented properly.
In addition to these the FMOH should strengthen its monitoring system to identify gaps in the implementation of the MNCH services and commodities policy and take measures to narrow those gaps. The Ethiopia Pharmaceuticals Fund and Supply Agency should revise its Integrated Pharmaceutical Logistics System (IPLS) to insure MNCH commodities are integrated in the system by 2020. Ultimately international donors like USAID needs to continue and strengthen their financial and technical support to the overall MNCH program of Ethiopia .
Ramatsobane Johanna Ledwaba provides us with a guest blog to address the need to reach more school aged girls with vaccines for human papilloma (HPV) virus in South Africa and in the process prevent cervical cancer. Her blog originally appeared in Social, Cultural & Behavioral Issues in PHC & Global Health.
Cervical cancer is the first most common cancer in women and the first leading cancer related-deaths among South African women, aged 15-44 years. More that 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, of which 5,500 die from cancer— age-specific incidence rate (15-44 years) of 41.8 per 100,000 women per year and age-specific mortality rate (15-44 years) of 11,7 per 100,000 women per year. Reasons for such a high mortality rate include, low screening coverage of 19.3%, and late presentation with an advanced stage compounded by the high HIV epidemic. The World Health Organization recommends a 2-dose HPV vaccination among girls of 9-13 years.
In 2014, the South African National Department of Health introduced a school-based HPV vaccination policy— using 2-dose Cervarix vaccine, as prevention for cervical cancer among girls aged 9 and above in grade 4 attending public schools. The policy aimed to vaccinate 500, 000 young girls from 18,000 public schools before their sexual debut.
HPV vaccine campaign poster distributed by the Department of Health. Source: Government Communication and Information SystemPreliminary data showed that 91% of schools were reached and 87% age eligible grade 4 girls were vaccinated, however there is a high dropout rate in the second dose.
Although the programme seems a success thus far, there is a need for expanded coverage of the vaccine to include higher grades that could potentially house girls of ages 11-13 years. In addition, the vaccine must be widely available at public health facilities for girls who were missed at school because they changed schools or dropped out.
Girls attending private schools are presumed to access HPV vaccine through the private health sector, however the HPV vaccine coverage in the private health sector remains low due to high costs and lack of awareness— which suggest that there is low coverage in private schools. Therefore, the vaccine must be expanded to include private schools. This gap may lead to poor coverage of HPV vaccination and may also increase perceptions or hesitancy against the vaccine because it is not widely available for all girls of targeted age. No girl must be left behind.
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