By Jim Moore, Malaria Partners International Board Member
This month marks the kickoff of Phase Two of our Copperbelt Malaria Elimination project. This $997,000 investment trains, equips and deploys 1,055 Community Health Workers (CHWs) in their home villages to diagnose, treat and report on cases of malaria, diarrhea, and respiratory illness using the “integrated community case management plus” (iCCM+) method. The project will take place in three (3) districts of Zambia’s Copperbelt Province and adheres to Zambia’s National Malaria Elimination Strategy. It has the following objectives:
- Reduce malaria by 90% within three years;
- Bring basic health care to the village level, enabling more immediate diagnosis and treatment, thus saving lives and the burden/expense of traveling to health posts or hospitals that often are very distant, benefitting 550,000 Zambians;
- Reduce the burden on rural health centers and hospitals, particularly during and after the rainy seasons when the number of malaria cases can be overwhelming.
The scale of this project required marshalling broad support from Rotary clubs and partner organizations. The lead clubs of Mufulira (Zambia) and Seattle (USA) are grateful for the financial support of:
– 24 Rotary clubs from across North America and Europe,
– 7 Rotary districts
– Malaria Partners International and RAM-Global
– Several generous individuals
– Matching funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rotary Foundation.
RC Mufulira is partnering with sister clubs in Kalulushi and Luanshya Districts to implement the CHW training, guided by each district’s Health Office staff, the Provincial Health Office and the National Malaria Elimination Center. The project should be completed by the end of 2022.