Results
Public health doctor Hyacinthe Atobiank 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).
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 %
“These observations,” concludes Dr Atobiank, “fully justify that we keep the Self Assessment tool and that we develop its use.”
In all the communities we visited, the message was the same:
- 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."