[Zanzibar] 400 people hired in Zanzibar for anti-malaria campaign

from African News Dimension

More than 400 people will be hired to implement Zanzibar’s anti-malaria initiative, which went underway in Pemba, recently.

By Issa Yussuf

The exercise involves spraying in and around households.

The compound being used is reportedly environment-friendly and has the potency to control the breeding of mosquitoes in and around households for at least six years.

Known as parathyroid-lambdacyhalothrin (IOWP-Icon), the chemical is manufactured by Syngeta, a Swiss company and would be sprayed in an estimated 220 000 residential houses.

The launch of the Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) campaign was witnessed by hundreds of students and officials from the US embassy in Tanzania led by ambassador Michael Retzer.

It was presided over by Zanzibar chief minister Shamsi Vuai Nahodha at Mpapa village in central Unguja on Sunday 9 July.

Nahodha told Zanzibaris to support the exercise by allowing their houses to be sprayed and also having the residential surroundings kept clean.

In preparation of the 54-day anti-mosquito exercise, known as the Zanzibar Malaria Control Programme (ZMCP), the officials conducted a series of meetings with different groups to advocate for support of the exercise, which has received $2 million from the US government’s anti-malaria initiative.

"We appreciate US assistance to combat malaria in Zanzibar. I urge political and religious leaders on the Islands to join hands and make sure the exercise succeeds," Nahodha said.

Minister of health and social welfare, Sultani Mohamed Mugheiry said all homes would be sprayed with the chemical.

"The exercise will be repeated every six years. We appeal to wananchi to co-operate with the sprayers and keep their property safely during the exercise," Mugheiry said.

He added that the exercise would reduce malaria prevalence from the current 31% to below 15%.

Reizer said his government was determined to make sure that Zanzibar was free of malaria. The envoy said that US President George Bush’s original plan was to reduce malaria deaths, especially among women and children by 50%. He expressed hope that this target would be surpassed.

Already, the US supports the distribution of about 230 000 treated bed-nets and malaria awareness campaign under the Kataa Malaria (Roll Back Malaria) programme launched last year.

According to Retzer, rapid diagnostic test kits that provide a quick and accurate diagnosis for malaria have been purchased and are on their way in bulk for use in Zanzibar.