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In an effort to reduce the deadly malaria endemic in post war Liberia, the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH&SW), in collaboration with the Eddie (Cultural) Production Crew over the weekend launched phase one of series of educational campaign on the prevention of the disease.
The two-day event targeted three slump communities in Monrovia including West Point, Clara Town and Logan Town. It is expected to continue in other parts of the 15 counties, the National Malaria Control Program Manager (NMCP), Dr. Joel Jones has said.
Dr. Jones who launched the campaign in the densely slump community of West Point near the Kru Beach in Monrovia on Saturday, informed the gathering that the initiative will measure the extent of ownership and use of mosquito’s bed nets in the country, as well as other malaria preventive measures.
According to him, the awareness will also assess the coverage of intermittent preventive treatment program to pregnant women; identify practices used to treat malaria and anemia among children across Liberia.
The objective, he said, is to among other things, assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of malaria prevention as it relate to the various communities in and around Monrovia and in general, and among the population in particular.
“Do not use the mosquito nets for fishing, bathing and any other purpose as it is intended to prevent mosquito from biting anyone and at the same time prevent the spread of the malaria parasite from attacking you,” Dr. Jones warned the residents.
He called on the community members and household to cooperate with the team by taking the awareness messages to other parts of the community where the team might not have the means to access.
The campaign was launched on theme for this year’s Malaria Day, “Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria” with the slogan, “Gets tested for Malaria before Treatment.”
Interestingly, members of the Eddie Production Crew kept the audience spell-bound as the well attended exercise was characterized by cultural performance and a series of drama depicting the use of mosquito nets as well as other malaria preventable measures.
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