SUCCESS STORIES

Ethiopian Region Experiences Dramatic Malaria Decline

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Written by Susan Walters for Voices for a Malaria Free Future

Situated in the heart of the Horn of Africa, Tigray is the northernmost region of Ethiopia and a place where the nation's ancient civilizations originated. Along with its historic and cultural roots, however, the region is also prone to malaria outbreaks, even epidemics, with about 4.5 million people at risk in its distinctive, rugged highlands.

Despite the treacherous mountainous terrain and an array of other challenges, the region has shown tremendous declines in malaria cases – a resounding achievement for Ethiopia's Ministry of Health and its global health partners.

Along with large scale distribution of insecticide treated nets to families in Tigray, the households in the most epidemic prone areas received the added prevention of indoor residual spraying (IRS). For IRS worker Kahsay Reda, traveling around the difficult terrain to reach remote villages is not a problem.

"Malaria usually attacks people far away from the city so this is where we should go," he said.

Kahsay travels with a team of five spray men and one team leader, who are trained to talk with the families before they begin spraying. "Many people are grateful and some are not too happy about the mess, but overall they are interested to have it done and be protected from malaria," said Kahsay.

For Bisrat and Tadlach, a husband and wife who live with their eight month old baby and four other children, the spraying was a good thing because they could not afford to do it themselves. "I used to get malaria every year and be very sick." said Bisrat, "My family got sick too. We were told 10 days ago to prepare our house for the spraying, so we moved our furniture away from the walls, it was not a problem."

A farmer by trade, Bisrat believes malaria is declining in his area and attributes this to good treatments being available and health workers educating local families about prevention.

Sustaining these multifaceted prevention programs is key to keeping the cases of malaria down in epidemic prone regions like Tigray.

"It will be difficult to sustain the significant progress that's been made if the funding falls away," said Tigray's assistant minister of health. For hard-working families like Bisrat's, who have experienced life without malaria this year, the government of Ethiopia made an ambitious pledge to have two long lasting bed nets in all households in malarious areas by the end of 2007.

By the end of 2008, the country aims to almost double the total number of community health workers to 30,000. The work of building a sustainable supply line of bed nets and medicine through the construction of manufacturing sites in Ethiopia is also underway.

Thanks to ongoing commitments to prevent and control malaria by a remarkable global partnership, Ethiopia is leading a committed charge in its fight against malaria.

• The Global Fund
• World Bank Malaria Booster Program