The
Canadian Red Cross will expand its malaria programmes in Africa
thanks to the renewed support of the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA). The Canadian government announced
Tuesday in Ottawa that Canada is committing Can $ 20 million
to the Canadian Red Cross malaria programme and other malaria
programmes aimed at saving lives in Africa.
"Through today's investment to the Canadian Red Cross,
Canada is contributing to programs in Africa like the Malaria
Bednet Campaign that are resulting in thousands of lives saved,"
said The Honourable Josée Vernier, Minister of International
Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages.
Thanks to the new funding, more than two million long-lasting
insecticide-treated nets will be distributed free-of-charge
by thousands of Red Cross volunteers as part as an integrated
child health strategy in Africa. It also builds upon the Canadian
International Development Agency’s previous contribution
of Can $ 26 million to the Canadian Red Cross to support similar
malaria programming in Africa.
With the previous support from CIDA, the Canadian Red Cross
developed a successful approach in malaria programming, combining
programme expertise, resources, commodities, social mobilisation,
logistics and planning, in close collaboration with partners
including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies. It delivered more that 2.5 million free
mosquito nets to six countries in Africa: Zambia, Togo, Niger,
Mozambique, Malawi and Sierra Leone.
“Combining the strengths of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
national societies with those of other partners is the ideal
“recipe” for coordinated and scaled-up efforts that
achieve impact”, says Jean Roy, Senior Public Health Advisor
at the International Federation in Geneva.
Additionally, “The services that Red Cross volunteers
provide such as extra manpower for large scale campaigns and
for community mobilisation, ensure that donor inputs are properly
delivered and correctly used after these campaigns,” he
adds.
The 2006 Sierra Leone campaign was the sixth and largest bed-net
campaign supported by the Canadian Red Cross. Co-ordinated by
the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health nearly 875,000 nets were
delivered at 900 distribution points throughout the country
thanks to the massive involvement of 4,000 trained Sierra Leone
Red Cross volunteers.
Some 90 per cent of all Sierra Leonean children under five years
of age were reached. This integrated campaign also included
vaccination against measles, provided Vitamin A supplementation
and deworming treatments. It is expected to save the lives of
5,000 children under the age of five in the first year alone.
With the new CIDA funding, the Canadian Red Cross plans to distribute
2.1 million nets in Burkina-Faso and 600,000 in Madagascar in
2007.
Mosquito net distribution is a cost-effective and successful
way to help prevent malaria in sub-Saharan Africa where 90 per
cent of malaria deaths occur. According to the Canadian Red
Cross, the cost of purchasing a net, distributing it to families,
training them to use it properly costs only Can $7 – a
very cost effective intervention.
The malaria programme also highlights the strength of the Red
Cross and Red Crescent unique approach of involving local communities
with the participation of volunteers who are not only involved
in distributing the nets but also provide advice on how to use
them and check that they are properly hung long after campaign
workers have gone.
“Together, we are supporting proven and cost-effective
initiatives that will address the urgent, unmet needs of countries
that bear a very high burden of malaria,” concludes Dr.
Pierre Duplessis, Secretary-General of Canadian Red Cross.
This is why the Canadian Red Cross malaria programme, with the
support of the International Federation and other partners,
actively contributes to the achievement of the UN Millenium
Development Goal of reducing child mortality by two-thirds by
2015.
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Local
volunteers from the Sierra Leone Red Cross worked with
Canadian Red Cross to vaccinate children against measles.
(p15633) (Candace Feit/Canadian Red Cross)
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Canadian
Red Cross President with local children that received
health interventions and a mosquito net. (p15632)(Candace
Feit/Canadian Red Cross)
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Canadian
Red Cross worker Adam Johnston (on the right) delivers
mosquito nets with local Red Cross volunteers in Sierra
Leone. 875,000 mosquito nets were distributed by Canadian
Red Cross across Sierra Leone during the week long campaign.
(p15635) (Candace Feit/Canadian Red Cross)
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Mosquito
nets are a cost effective way to prevent malaria. Canadian
Red Cross distributed free nets across the country. Malaria
kills one child every 30 seconds. (p15634) (Candace Feit/
Canadian Red Cross)
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Following
a health assessment, children are given cards indicating
the medical treatment they require. (p15636) (Candace
Feit/Canadian Red Cross)
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