State keen to eradicate malaria

GOVERNMENT is determined to eliminate malaria by 2021, says Chavuma District Commissioner Benjamin Mufunga.

Mr Mufunga said the government’s fight against malaria was in line with the Patriotic Front’s programme of eliminating malaria between 2017 and 2021.

Speaking during the commemoration of the Malaria Day in Sub Chief Sanjongo’s area, Mr Mufunga said the programme sought to reduce the burden of malaria in Zambia to nuisance.

Mr Mufunga said the approaches put in place for malaria elimination include mass distribution of treated mosquito nets, Indoor Residual Spraying, intermittent presumptive treatment of malaria in pregnant women, distribution of treated nets in schools and during maternal and child health clinics among others.

“And the district will receive 22,011 mosquito nets for the 2017 ITN mass distribution,” he said. He said the nets will be distributed to all households that had registered with the department of health.

Mr Mufunga said that the objective of the Malaria Day commemoration was to share messages on malaria prevention, control, treatment and the elimination strategy which the government has embarked on. “I therefore ask each one of us to take this event seriously and ensure that we eliminate malaria by 2021 in line with the theme, which states ‘Yes, we can eliminate malaria by 2021’ in Chavuma,’’ Mr Mufunga said.

He thanked Government and global partners in particular the Churches Health Association of Zambia for their sustained and resolute support. Meanwhile, Sub-Chief Sanjongo has pledged to support the interventions by the Ministry of Health and other partners through the district health office to eliminate malaria by 2021,