TZW
This year’s celebrations were held nationally in Kasulu District, Kigoma Region. The 2017 Tanzania Malaria Indicator Survey was presented to the Minister by the Director General of the National Bureau of Statistics Director General, Dr Albina Chuwa. The minister said that regions with the highest rate of malaria infections and especially to children aged below five years were Kigoma leading with 24.4 per cent.
The others (percentage in brackets) are Geita (17.3), Kagera (15.4), and Tabora (14.8). Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Njombe, Songwe and Dodoma regions have the lowest rate infections with less than one per cent. Dr Albina Chuwa remarked further: “These statistics have shown that malaria infections have gone down with highest rate and this are good news to everyone and explains the government’s efforts in fighting against malaria. As a country, nation and a society, we should continue coming together and join forces to fight malaria, and especially to young children aged below five years and expectant mothers.” She added: “
Despite the efforts we are making, we still face challenges, including some Tanzanians who misuse our free distributed long lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs). I take this opportunity to state that the nets are safe and that reports of that the nets reduced fertility, and especially to men, were false.” The minister praised the efforts as gestures of good relationsby partners – the United States’ President’s Malaria Initiative – PMI through USAID, JOHNS Hopkins Centre for Communication in Tanzania, Switzerland, Global Fund and VectorWorks project.
On his part, the USAID Tanzania Mission Director, Andy Karas, said that over the last 12 years, the United States’ President’s Malaria Initiative – PMI through USAID, had been working with the government of Tanzania in efforts to eliminate malaria in the country. “I am proud that PMI has contributed to the achievement of Tanzania’s good results in cutting back malaria. Many children are alive today because of efforts in Tanzania and 18 other countries around Africa where PMI operates.
Over the past decade, PMI purchased and distributed nearly 10 million nets in Tanzania, purchased 20 million rapid diagnostic test kits and 38 million of the most effective treatments – ACT, and protected over two million people annually through indoor spraying,” he said. On her part, the Switzerland Ambassador to Tanzania, Florence Tinguely Mattli, commended the government’s efforts in fighting malaria, saying Switzerland had been supporting the Ifakara Health Institute to carry out malaria-related researches for over 50 years.