Perspectives: malaria; mothers and children; Africa
Story (en Français)
Mirriam is the primary health care provider, midwife, nurse, administrator, counsellor and health champion at Kafumbwe Rural Health Centre, Katete District in eastern Zambia. She is also a married mother of three, and in 2011, she almost lost her daughter to malaria. Thankfully she recovered, but the memory still haunts their whole family, and Mirriam herself has also suffered from malaria countless times.
Mirriam sees malaria every day at the clinic. The waiting room – a concrete bench outside the facility that runs the length of the center – is often overflowing with mothers and caregivers with young children, pregnant women and the elderly. In her region, between 20-29% of children under 5 are infected each year.
But the availability of high-quality, inexpensive rapid diagnostic tests, insecticide-treated bed nets, and preventative treatment for pregnant women – all provided by The Global Fund – have transformed the diagnosis and management of malaria in Zambia, allowing for the rapid prescription of life-saving treatment, particularly for children. The Global Fund’s support has also helped to improve and expand health services to rural centres like Mirriam’s and helped to reduce infections and death, including for tuberculosis and HIV.
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