Habari

Clinton launches affordable malaria programme

A three-day visit in the country by the former USA President Bill Clinton has rekindled hopes for million lives of Tanzanians who would have otherwise succumbed to death through malaria.

By Michael Haonga



A three-day visit in the country by the former USA President Bill Clinton has rekindled hopes for million lives of Tanzanians who would have otherwise succumbed to death through malaria.


Looking cheerful and heartfelt throughout the ceremony, the former USA President joined the crowd to chant, “No one should die of malaria. We are here to save people from dying of malaria.“


The former USA President`s heartening reassurance was made at Dar es Salaam Pugu Kajiungeni primary School when launching a most effective medicine against malaria christened as Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACT) pilot program.


The medicine considered the most effective combination therapies against malaria in Tanzania will be introduced in two pilot districts of Maswa in Shinyanga region and Kongwa District in Dodoma region under the pilot program.


The program is to be implemented jointly by Tanzania and the Clinton Foundation to ensure that the medicine is also available at 95 percent cheaper.


According to a statement issued at the launching function, the pilot program will be implemented through several inter related strategies for increasing access to ACTs by 450,000 people in the pilot districts.


The program will also provide information on correct drugs, appropriate usage, and marketing campaign technicalities at the auspices of PSI with a view to informing patients of the availability of ACTs.


The third component of the program is targeted to improve the quality of services provided by drug sellers through sale shops employees training.
The progam will provide drug shop employees in the target areas with training of the diagnosis and treatment of malaria specifies the statement.


Alongside that, there will be a comprehensive data collection to enable analysis of the impact of the strategies applied.


The international malaria community, through a Roll Bank Malaria Partnership task force, chaired by the Health Minister Professor David Mwakyusa is currently discussing a potential global subsidy of ACTs reveals the statement.


According to the statement malaria is now one of the greatest public health challenges in Tanzania where every year 15 to 18 million people fall ill out of malaria causes.


More than 100,000 or 80 percent children under the age of five die the statement says.


With support from the Global Fund, the Government has been able to increase ACT treatment in the public sector.


But in the private sector, few patients currently access ACTs due to prices that are 20-30 times.


Source: Guardian

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