When it’s a buggy summer day, Americans may dust off the old bottle of Off, or light a citronella candle. Here, a mosquito bite is a nuisance. In many parts of the world, it’s a deadly killer.
In 2012, there were still 207 million cases of malaria and over 600,000 deaths – three quarters were children under 5. Approximately half of the world’s population is still at risk of malaria.
What choices do people in malarial zones have to protect themselves from this flying terror? And what are we doing to help?
One of the most effective methods being supported by the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) around the world is spraying homes in the areas where the mosquitos live with an insecticide.
This delivers a massive, concerted blow to the mosquito population. In order to have an impact, indoor residual spraying, as it is called, must be carried out in least 80 percent of the homes in malaria-prone areas, use an effective insecticide and be executed by a well-trained workforce.
In Ghana, the entire population of 25 million is at risk for malaria; indoor residual spraying is helping protect families from this deadly disease. But it doesn’t happen on its own. A network of “social mobilizers” help communities realize the benefits of spraying, and encourage other health-improving behavior as well.
Bertha Moisob a passionate public health advocate working on a PMI-funded program in Ghana says this:
“My hope for the future is to see that reduced malaria burden.. Children are healthy, pregnant women delivery safely…”
Watch this video on how Bertha and her community are mobilizing against malaria
RELATED LINKS
- Check out more on our work Fighting Malaria
- Read more about Indoor Residual Spraying
- Read Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer’s : Full Speed Ahead on Malaria
- Check out The Guardian’s profile: How One Ghanaian Town Sprayed Away 74% of Malaria in Two Years.
- Follow @PMI.gov On Facebook; On Flickr; On YouTube