Mara to spend Sh5.4bn on malaria

Musoma. Mara regional authorities in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation, Abt Associates, will spend over Sh5.4 billion on an Indoor Residual Spray Insecticide programme to eliminate malaria.

The programme that has been implemented for two years, is expected set to be undertaken for the third time in Butiama and Musoma district councils from February 14 to March 13, 2018.

Speaking yesterday before launching the programme, Mara Regional Commissioner Adam Malima said the initiative targeted to cover 105,788 houses, noting that during the campaign mosquitoes would be killed.

“Mara is among regions leading in malaria prevalence in the country with 2015/16 statistics showing the region had 26 per cent the rate which declined to 19 per cent during the 2016/17,” he said.

He commended the programme for significantly reducing the disease though he said the region stood among regions with high prevalence recording 14.9 per cent, challenging that the region had a long way to go in eliminating the disease, especially from expectant mothers and children under the age of five years.

Mr Malima said to actively fight the disease, regional authorities have conducted different activities and initiatives including distributing 297,000 mosquito nets to children under one year old and pregnant women to ensure region becomes malaria free.

“I should warn people planning to sabotage the programme which will cost a lot of money and targets to save lives of millions of people in the region,” he said.

He added, “For instance, there are people in Rorya District spreading rumours that the IRSI had negative effects to human health, something which reduced people’s participation when the programme was implemented in the district in 2013.”

Mara regional malaria coordinator Tukae Liso said malaria prevalence in Butiama District Council have declined from 38 per cent recorded in 2015 to 21 per cent this year which was the positive impact of the program.