Reduction of Malaria Mortality in the country of Chad, Sub-Sahara Africa from 2013 to 2014.

Reduction of Malaria Mortality in the country of Chad, Sub-Sahara Africa from 2013 to 2014.

1. Objective: The purpose of this study is to show the effectiveness of a malaria net distribution program with multi-faceted activities including multiple forms of communication, early diagnosis and treatment in the reduction of malaria mortality in Chad from 2013 - 2014.
2. Material/Background and Methods Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite transmitted through infected mosquitoes bites (anopheles). The parasites multiply rapidly in a human’s liver and then infect red blood cells. Symptoms including headache, fever, vomiting and vertigo appearing within 10 to 15 days after a mosquito bite. Worldwide, cases of malaria are estimated at 198 million (2013). Approximately 584,000 deaths occurred mostly in African children. This equates to a child dying of malaria every minute in Africa. Despite the alarming number of cases, the mortality rate since 2000 has fallen by 47% globally with a 54% decrease in the African Region. In the Country of Chad, 27% of all morbidity and 19% of all mortality are due to malaria. The database from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP-CHAD) and communication activities of STOP PALU CHAD from 2013 and 2014 were examined.
3. Results Confirmed cases of malaria increased by 27.28% from 2013 – 2014, primarily due to increased awareness and early detection. The mortality rate fell by 69 cases/1000 (1881 in 2013, 1729 in 2014) according to records from health facilities. Studies show in the African region many malaria cases are underreported.
4. Conclusion A multi-faceted malaria awareness and prevention campaign was shown to be effective in reduced mortality of children in Sub-Sahara Africa. The incidence of malaria continues to be underreported due to lack of awareness, health care facilities and access to facilities. Results show combined efforts are necessary to educate people in rural communities in reporting to health care facilities, when symptomatic, for proper diagnosis and treatment.