African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)
Africa
AMREF’s mission is to improve the health of disadvantaged people in Africa as a
means for them to escape poverty and improve the quality of their lives. One of
our Priority Intervention Areas (PIAs) is malaria.
Malaria
Malaria is the most important parasitic disease in the world. It kills 3,000 children
every day and more than one million each year. The majority of these deaths occur
among children under five years of age and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa.
The clinical disease burden is especially high among these two groups as a result
of immature and weakened immunity.
AMREF’s Malaria Prevention and Control Programme focuses on these vulnerable groups,
particularly those living in very poor and hard to reach communities.
These communities often have limited access to primary health care and to simple
and effective preventive tools such as mosquito nets. In addition, they are less
likely to have access to basic information regarding the disease and how to avoid
it.
We have malaria related activities in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Example: Busia Child Survival Project, Kenya
The Busia Child Survival integrated project, began in October 2005. It is a three-pronged
approach: maternal and newborn care, malaria control and HIV/AIDS.
The direct beneficiaries of the project include approximately 38,000 infants and
children under five years (CU5) and 42,000 women of reproductive age. One of the
project's key aims is an increase in the proportion of pregnant women and children
under five (CU5) who sleep under insecticide-treated nets.