Battle against malaria gets further boost

SHINYANGA: IN an effort to tackle the spreading of malaria disease, Barrick Bulyanhulu Gold Mine has launched a campaign to ensure zero threat remains a goal.

The campaign was launched on Monday in Bugarama ward, Msalala District in the Shinyanga Region.

Speaking during the launch, Barrick’s General Manager Mr Cheick Sangare said the mining company is optimistic about reducing the dangers of the killer disease, especially to women and the children in the country.

“Good health is vital to the human being and due to that, we have decided to come up with this campaign purposely to eradicate this killer disease from our communities,” said Mr Sangare.

He said the campaign is projected to reach out to 17,500 wards and their shelters will be sprayed with insecticides to kill the breeding grounds of mosquitoes. Mosquito nets will also be distributed.

On his part, Msalala District Executive Director, Mr Khamis Katimba called upon cooperation from the public to the experts during the process to ensure that the activity is successfully conducted.

He said that the mine company’s initiatives will improve the health sector within the area such that through spraying the insecticides, numerous diseases will be eradicated.

In April this year, during the World Malaria Day commemoration, Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, who represented President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the commemorations, launched the National End Malaria Council.

The 19-member Council was launched with expansive members from academia, politics, religious groups, business, sports and entertainment purposely to raise the malaria elimination agenda and raising domestic resources to facilitate ending malaria in Tanzania by 2030.

“We have come a long way in the national effort to end malaria, it we supercharge our efforts, we will surely eliminate malaria in Tanzania. We should not relax because of the success we have got,” said Prime Minister.

Additionally, a recent mid-term evaluation of the malaria programme in Tanzania reported that Malaria mortality rate in health facilities per 100,000 populations was 2.2 per cent, a great achievement resulting from recent efforts of strengthening malaria diagnosis and treatment. It means, fewer people are now dying from malaria.