Join IMA And Recognize World Malaria Day

Staff Report/IMA

IMA World Health proudly joins the global health community by calling attention to World Malaria Day 2011.

We have come a long way since the first World Malaria day four years ago. The increased support for malaria control has dropped the annual death rate from more than a million people to an estimated 790,000.

Today, we take a moment to review the preventative measures taken to eliminate malaria deaths by 2015.

IMA World Health is currently combating malaria in two countries.

In Tanzania, IMA is providing technical assistance in monitoring and evaluation to the Christian Social Services Commission through the Malaria Communities Program. This has allowed for better program planning and management to increase the number of preventative malaria treatments and increase the use of insecticide treated nets by pregnant women and children under 5 years old.

In the DR Congo, IMA is providing technical assistance to the Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC) in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Round 8. IMA and ECC are reinforcing health services ensuring the proper diagnosis of malaria, distributing long-lasting bed nets to pregnant women and children under 5 and growing the use of malaria services and correct use of bed nets through community mobilization.

According to worldmalariaday.org, already struggling economies in Sub-Saharan Africa are being battered by the economic burden of the disease. Malaria causes a loss in productivity since it remains a leading cause of school absenteeism, work absence and puts tremendous pressure on household incomes.

IMA and the rest of the malaria community remain committed to continue the fight against malaria around the world.

Will you join us as we recognize World Malaria Day?