Barrick’s anti-malaria drive reaches more beneficiaries

Msalala. The ongoing malaria eradication campaign launched recently by Barrick Bulyanhulu Gold Mine Ltd is increasingly reaching more people in Msalala District, Shinyanga Region.

The campaign themed “zero malaria starts with me, you, and all of us’’ has seen many people coming out in public meetings and getting education against malaria, and each household has been provided with mosquito nets.

After the completion of the exercise of distributing mosquito nets and providing education to communities.

The exercise of spraying mosquito killers in human settlements and into more than 80 ponds in eight villages in Bugarama and Bulyanhulu wards will follow.

Providing education against malaria to residents of Busulwangiri and Lwabakanga villages in Bulyanhulu ward, Msalala District, the Acting Chief Medical Officer and Malaria Coordinator, Dr Martine Mazigwa, said research conducted found ponds to be mosquito breeding grounds.

It was thus necessary to spray mosquito killers into the ponds in order to keep the community in a safer environment and avoid getting infected with the dangerous disease.

A representative of the Barick Bulyanhulu mine in the campaign, Ms Stella Kuyonga, made a call to the residents about using the mosquito nets being given to them in order to protect themselves from mosquito bites instead of using them inappropriately, such as keeping chickens.

Speaking at the recent launch of the campaign, the general manager of Barrick Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, Mr Cheick Sangare, said that Barrick will continue to support various efforts of the government to bring development to the people while ensuring the latter have good health.

Mr Sangare said that through the campaign, the mining firm expects to reach out to 17,500 households and mosquito breeding grounds sprayed with mosquito killers, including providing mosquito nets to the households.