Contribution towards Zero elimination of Malaria in Southern Africa
The Elimination 8 (E8) initiative includes Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe with interventions aimed at elimination of Malaria in most southern countries and better control of Malaria in boarding countries. This initiative is funded by the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. DAPP Namibia is part of the E8 cross border consortium along the Namibian – Angolan border with two organizations in Namibia and three operating on the Angolan side of the border in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Social Services in both countries.
The principal objective/strategy of the project activities is to contribute to the pre-elimination of Malaria in Namibia and contribute to better control of Malaria in the southern part of Angola. The strategy consists of testing, diagnosing, treatment, information and surveillance of Malaria through community mobilization, mobile, and stationary health services in close cooperation with health authorities.
Areas of Implementation:
At the Katwitwi border crossing DAPP Namibia is operating a Malaria Plus Health Clinic, where people who are crossing the border are invited for testing and treated on the spot when diagnosed with Malaria. The Malaria Basic Team is mobile and operates with a driver, a nurse, and a community health worker. This team does information campaigns and testing at an informal river crossing sites. At this site people tested positive for Malaria are treated on the spot. The 3 Surveillance Teams observe Malaria breakout cases. When informed by a nurse in charge that at a certain village that one or more people came to the clinic with Malaria, the surveillance team will go to that village and set up the testing unit under a tree. All people in a radius of 100 meters from the household where Malaria is found are tested and treatedon the spot if they are diagnosed with Malaria. At the same time, the environmental health officers assess the area together with the headman or other villagers for stagnant water where mosquitos might breed, and take action with cleaning and spraying if mosquito larvae are found.
"It is good that everyone is tested, and those who were tested positive were treated. It is also good that people do not have to go to the hospital, get tested and they did not spend any cent” said a community member when asked whether the project has brought change to the area.
About 34 426 test was conducted whereby 693 were Malaria positive, which is 2% of the total in 2019.
