Malaria prevalence among children soars five per cent

LYDIA SHEKIGHENDA

MALARIA prevalence among under one-year children has soared by five per cent in the past six years, necessitating further government and all stakeholders’ interventions to wipe out the deadly disease.

According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey 2015/16 (TDHS-MIS) released in Dar es Salaam yesterday, malaria cases among children under one have increased from nine to 14 per cent between 2010 and 2015/16.

The report shows that malaria cases are higher in rural areas, at 18 per cent, than in urban areas’ four per cent and they decrease with increasing level of household wealth. It further reveals that while the highest malaria incidences in children in Zanzibar is in Kusini Unguja with 0.3 per cent, in the Mainland, Kagera region tops the list with 41 per cent, followed by Kigoma and Geita, which have 38 per cent, each. Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Dodoma and Manyara have the lowest level of malaria incidences among children.

Health, Community Development, Gender, Elders and Children Minister Ummy Mwalimu, speaking at the report launch in the city, said her docket is currently implementing various programmes to combat the disease.

He directed all executives in her ministry to go through the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and identify areas that need improvement to free the children from the fatal disease

 “As the minister responsible for health, I cannot tolerate to these statistics ... we must work hard to ensure that the number of children with malaria infection is drastically reduced,” insisted Ms Mwalimu. She said in 2005 malaria prevalence among children was 21 per cent and dropped to seven per cent in 2010 but instead of declining further, the number has surged.

“NMCP is currently implementing another programme of distributing mosquito nets to the country’s households, I believe that this initiative and efforts by other stakeholders will help to reduce malaria infection in the country,” the minister said, noting that every person in the society has a role to play in combatting malaria. Despite the challenge, Ms Mwalimu said the country has recorded significant progress in improving access to safe drinking water at the household level.

“The report shows that access to safe drinking water has improved from 56 per cent in 2010 to 60 per cent in 2015/16, a move that will help to contain cholera outbreaks, which have claimed lives of many people,” she added.

According to the report, the use of family planning among married women has reached 38 per cent from 29 per cent, while infant mortality rate has dropped from 51 in 1000 live births in 2010 to 43 in 2015/16. For children under five, the rate has dropped to 67 from 81, under the period.

She said basic vaccination coverage has improved, with three quarters or 75 per cent of children aged between 12 and 23 months receiving the required immunity.

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Director General, Dr Albina Chuwa, said the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) with the theme “Leave no one behind” requires healthy people.