STOMP Out Malaria

My time in Rwanda is constantly being split between the three issues that are most prevalent in my community: malaria, malnutrition, and HIV/AIDS. The biggest problem by far is malaria. For those of you who don't know much about malaria, the basics are: it is spread by infected Mosquitos and people affected by it experience violent flu- like systems. If left untreated, it can be fatal. The medicines to cure malaria are cheap and available, so in theory NO ONE should be dying. But they do.

It is the leading killer of children under five across Africa. In 2005 alone, more than 1 million people died from this disease. 90% lived in sub- Saharan Arica and most were children. The first recorded case of malaria was in 2,700 BC and since then hundreds of millions of people have died due to this pesky parasite. Did you know that King Tut, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Dante were all killed by malaria?

Malaria was eradicated in America and many parts of the world in the 1950s. Unfortunately Africa was largely ignored during this time. Since 2000, greater efforts to control and eliminate this disease have been taken. NGOs and governments have contributed funding for prevention, distributing millions of mosquito nets across Africa. In the last decade an estimated 908,000 deaths were avoided. 

Lack of education and access to health facilities are two major obstacles that contribute to the continued fatalities. As a PCV, I try to educate people about malaria prevention.  In March, I went on a malaria awareness bike ride. Myself and 11 other volunteers rode around the Eastern region and taught students in the villages we passed. 

This month is World Malaria Month so we are stepping up our outreach. Just this weekend, my site mate Bob and I painted a malaria mural. 

It means that if you use a mosquito net, you avoid malaria. This gives you health and you save money as well as time for work and school.

STOMP Out Malaria is a education program started by a PCV in Senegal. Members of STOMP are working towards the elimination of malaria in Africa. Many countries are on the right path. Rwandas infection rate is down more than 50% due to it's aggressive mosquito net distribution campaigns. Although malaria is a big problem, there are solutions and progress is being made. 

Interested in helping solve the malaria problem? Consider donating a net or two through organizations such as "Nothing But Nets" they are inexpensive and save lives!