Malaria prevention and treatment

Malaria is one of the most devastating diseases in Ethiopia and Afar is particularly prone to its impacts. With only two clinics to serve a population of 1.3 million people, many are unaware of how to protect themselves and their families against the disease. The nomadic lifestyle of the Afari people also presents a unique challenge in delivering effective health care. The Addressing Malaria Prevention and Treatment among Remote and Marginalised Nomadic Communities in North-Eastern Ethiopia project's goal is to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality among the populations of the Afar region.

Today, the project has expanded to cover new districts and is working to protect more vulnerable communities from malaria - namely, pregnant women and children.

African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF) is an international African organisation headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with 50 years' experience in health development. While malaria is preventable and treatable, AMREF had found that Afari communities do not have enough information on how the disease is transmitted, what the signs and symptoms of uncomplicated and more severe malaria are, what the most effective treatments are, and how malaria can be prevented.

Addax Foundation supports AMREF in addressing the need for a well-defined malaria awareness/prevention campaign tailored towards the varied education levels and cultural practices. The project works to ensure that nomadic popukations have access to accurate knowledge about, and greater awareness of, malaria, as well as equip them with the means to both prevent and treat the disease. A special focus is made on children under five and pregnant women who are a particularly vulnerable to malaria, due to immature and reduced immunity respectively.

In this two-year programme, Addax Foundation's support focuses on:

training mother coordinators as volunteers of the community to carry out malaria prevention and treatment education in their respective villages;
training traditional leadership to ensure lasting behaviour change and the involvement of men;
training healthcare providers in collaboration with the District Ministry of Health to bring health closer to marginalized and remote communities;
distributing Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs);
organising malaria awareness campaigns using a picture based pocket guide;
creating partnerships with community based organisations within the Afar region.

Location	Afar region Ethiopia
Objective	To prevent and treat malaria amongst remote and marginalised nomadic communities in north-eastern Ethiopia
How	By supporting African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)