MALARIA prevalence in Kagera Region has been considerably reduced from 42 per cent recorded in 2007 to 8.8 per cent this year.
However, more efforts were still needed to ensure that malaria is completely eliminated.
The Kagera Regional Medical Officer (RMO), Dr Thomas Rutachunzibwa made the revelation to the ‘Daily News’ citing concerted efforts they mounted in the region including Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) and polio jabs to infants, adding that more efforts were needed to ensure that the region is a malaria free zone. There are few people who are ignorant and opposed the exercise of their houses being sprayed.
Indoor spraying can control malaria by 90 per cent and eliminate malaria that is still a leading killer disease. About 163,000 house holds in Ngara, Misenyi and Bukoba Rural districts have been earmarked for the next spraying session scheduled to start in January-February, next year. 62,730 households are in Bukoba Rural, 54,578 in Ngara while 40,813 households are in Misenyi District. During Phase One a total of 68,346 households in 109 villages in Muleba District were sprayed.
The Regional Malaria Intergrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), Dr Julian Mugengi, said a total of 133,732 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) were distributed to Standard One pupils in 952 primary schools. This is a continuous exercise.
A total of 446,749 households in Kagera Region have been short listed to get insecticide treated nets (ITN) in an effort to combat the spread of malaria. A few years ago, Kagera region was among regions with high malaria prevalence.
Due to joint efforts more lives have been saved. During 2007 the national malaria prevalence rate stood at 18 per cent while the regional malaria prevalence rate stood at 42 per cent.
The number of dispensaries increased from 206 during 2005 to 239 by 2010, Health Centres increased from 21 (2005) to 28 (2010) while the number of hospitals also increased from 13 during 2005 to 15 by 2010.
The infant mortality rate (IMR) for children aged below five years also dropped from 110 per 1,000 children during 2005 to five per 1,000 children during 2010.
The mortality rate for children aged above five years improved from 182 per 1,000 children (2005) to 28 per 1,000 children (2010.). Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases, particularly in Africa. Malaria is still a leading killer disease claiming almost 700,000 lives in Africa annually.
Out of the number, 595,000 of them were young children. The maternal mortality rate (MMR) is the annual number of female deaths per 100,000 live births from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management (excluding accidental or incidental causes).
The MMR includes deaths during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, for a specified year.
Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries. Statistically, maternal mortality contributes to only 2.3 per cent of the total mortality.
According to recent estimates in 2013, total maternal deaths and MMR in Tanzania are 7,900 and 410 per 100,000 live births respectively.
The main direct causes of maternal death are haemorrhages, infections, unsafe abortions, hypertensive disorders and obstructed labour. The presence of these causes is exacerbated by HIV and malaria, Tanzania’s number one killer.
The fact that more than half of births in Tanzania occur at home also contributes to the elevated maternal mortality rate. Of all pregnant women, only 46 percent are assisted during childbirth by a doctor, clinical officer, nurse, midwife or maternal and child health aide.
Better health of a population is central to the development of a nation since a healthy population lives longer and is more productive and contributing more to a nation’s economy.
Effective public health system from the grassroots level is important in providing care for the sick and putting in place measures that promote preventive services of diseases.
Rural women, in particular, have continued to suffer debilitating poverty occasioned by retrogressive cultural practices and the politics of marginalisation.
The only source of financial freedom for rural women is productive agricultural enterprises, which unfortunately have not been strengthened enough to erase the circle of poverty. This is despite the fact that rural women contribute immensely to agriculture and rural enterprises, fuelling local and global economies. They are active players to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Yet, every day around the world, rural women and girls face insurmountable constraints from the prevailing social, economic and political order. Approximately 830 women in most developing nations die from preventable causes during pregnancy or childbirth every day.
Tanzania is making considerable progress in the reduction of child mortality. Under-five mortality rates continue to drop from 112 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 81 in 2010. The deaths of infants under one year also decreased from 68 to 51 per 1,000 live births over the same period.
In the latest WHO -Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) Tanzania ranked 23rd among 183 countries with 460 deaths per 100,000 live births together with Malawi and Afghanistan.
Chad tops the list with 1,100 deaths followed by Somalia (1,000 deaths), Sierra Leone (890), Central African Republic ( 890), Burundi (800), Guinea Bissau (790).
source- www.dailynews.co.tz
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