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MALARIA PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
IN IVORY COAST, WEST AFRICA

Malaria is one of the most important public health priorities in the Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire) due to its pervasiveness and associated morbidity and mortality.  While all ages and both sexes are affected, children under 5 and pregnant women are most vulnerable.  Malaria is the number one cause of mortality among children in Ivory Coast. Out of 128,000 estimated deaths in children under 5 each year, 63,000 are directly related to malaria. More about Malaria >>

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

ICMRT has distributed 5,000 LLIN’s in 4 small communities in the Ivory Coast as part of a comprehensive malaria prevention, treatment and education program. Our program includes village by village education of women, the training of handpicked community health workers, in-house net installation, rapid diagnostic test kit distribution and provision of malaria medication. Our aim is to expand this sustainable, and proven, community-based intervention against malaria throughout the country, and reduce the prevalence of malaria.
 

PRINCIPAL CHALLENGES IN THE PREVENTION
OF MALARIA IN THE IVORY COAST

  • Recent politcal unrest resulting in death, displacement, and distruction of medical facilities throughout the country

  • Insufficient resources due in part to the fact that the Ivory Coast hasn't benefited from substantial external funding for malaria
  • Severely limited access to treatments in virtually all zones, especially the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Artemisinin based Combined Therapy (ACTs)
  • Limited involvement of the local community in malaria control activities

OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

  • Obtain baseline data on LLITN usage within target populations in a rural regions ACHIEVED

  • Identify obstacles to widespread use of LLITN's in these groups ACHIEVED
  • Educate communities on the effectiveness of LLITN's in malaria prevention using trained community health workers. Community education cover malaria vectors, the mechanism of transmission, LLITN's and their insecticidal activity, and treatment referral ONGOING
  • Acquire rapid malaria diagnostic kits for distribution to medical clinics ACHIEVED/ONGOING
  • Generate program data, through monitoring and operational research, for expanded efforts to other malaria endemic regions ACHIEVED
 
 

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