Malaria Competence

Public health doctor Hyacinthe Atobiank (right) is responsible for the Swiss Red Cross programme in the Central Region (each region of the Togolese Red Cross is supported by a foreign Red Cross). In 2008, he was asked to measure the impact of the Malaria Competence approach and of the use of the Self Assessment tool. To do this, he compared the results of communities supported by the Red Cross and who had carried out a Self Assessment (Group 1), with those who had received no support from the Red Cross (Group 2). Here is a summary of the results that he found:

Bednets in the houses
Group 1 : 78%
Group 2 : 60 %

Prevalence of malaria among children under five. 
Group 1 : 37%
Group 2 : 54 %

Use of insecticide treated bednets for children under five.
Group 1 : 68 %
Group 2 : 48 %

(This link will display a larger picture of the results shown above in a separate window.)

“These observations,” concludes Dr Atobiank, “fully justify that we keep the Self Assessment tool and that we develop its use.”(See video clip below)

And this view is reinforced by Dr Battah Kuami, Head of the Health Department in the Togolese Red Cross, "We are continuing with this approach because of the results that we have obtained."(See video clip below)

In communities throughout Togo, there was a consistent message:

• Mme Katerita, in Gboto Assigamé said, “Before, malaria killed a lot of people, now mortality has gone down dramatically."

• Evegno Lomi, a school boy in Doumé said, “In my family, we were often sick because of malaria. Now that we know the cause of this desease, we have dug a cesspool sink to drain waste water, we sleep under insecticide treated bednets, and we have not had any malaria cases for two years. And when someone doesn’t feel well, he goes right away to the Health Centre. Most of my school friends behave the same way."

• An elderly man from Djangou said, “Before the Red Cross made us aware of what malaria is, there were many sick persons. Now, the level of sickness goes down. We have understood that malaria does not like cleanliness. So, men hoe around the houses; women sweep; we bury all empty cans and everything that could contain water; we dig cesspool sinks; all families have bednets."

• An elderly woman from Nanergou said, “In the past, diseases were innumerable, particularly malaria. I congratulate the women from the Club of Mothers, they have cleaned up our environment."

In The Gambia, the same message comes from communities that have been planning and coordinating their activies with the Self Assessement.

In Sohm, on average 5 children would die from malaria every year. But Mrs Sera Badjie, wife of the Alkalo, told us that, "since the Self Assessment had been introduced, not a single child had died in the village."(See video clip below)

Mr Lamin Badjie, the President of the Village Development Committee acknowledged that before his community completed the Self Assessment, they hardly knew anyhing about malaria. "We now know how malaria spreads and we know the importance of a clean environment. For two years now, we have not had a single case of severe malaria."(See video clip below)

At Bara, on the north side of the river, the Alkalo Mr Kenbugul Faye recalls the miscarriages that happened so often not so long ago and which brought such sadness to families. "The doesn't happen any longer, because the pregnant women to the ante-natal clinic."

At Madina Bafulotu, each year the community receives from a German NGO a gift of $1,000 to help to pay the costs of consultations at the Health Centre caused by malaria. "Two years ago, we used to spend this grant within two months. This year, it lasted six months !”

In Salikeni, in front of the 800 pupils of the school, 13 girls and 12 boys has been trained by NSGA to provide information to their colleagues about malaria. They performed a drama that gave information about the sturggle against malaria. The school children were listening and frequently laughing. They were clearly getting the messages.

The Alkalo of Salikeni appreciates greatly the impact of the drama group. « Before these performances and these public awareness actions, malaria was a terrible nuisance... it created social division within the community. Many people believed that malaria had something to do with witchcraft and that some community members were responsible for it. Using the Self Assessment tool made us free from such beliefs.

At the local health center, the nurse, Mrs Bakari Kinteh appreciates all that is done to make the population aware of malaria. She points out that before the NSGA facilitators came, she would see patients non-stop from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. “Now, the last patient leaves at 10:00 am. Morbidity and mortality have been dramatically reduced."

At Maka Farafenni, the whole village is there! It is there to see the local theatre group perform, with talent and humour, a piece contrasting the right and wrong way to react to a malaria crisis.