Zahana was able to get a hold of mosquito nets for every household in the village of Fiarenana. These nets have been distributed and as you can see in the photos have been received and put to good use.
Distributing Mosquiot nets in the village of Fiarenana
Malaria is the most common preventable disease in Fiarenana.Malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) is a seasonal disease that affects many parts of Madagascar every year. Much like the winter flu season in the West, Malaria appears as the winter season ends each year. Many doctors in Madagascar are still using Chloroquine as the standard drug of choice. Like in other parts of Africa, Chloroquine resistance has unfortunately become commonplace in Madagascar, rendering it rather ineffective. The Ministry of Health and WHO now recommend using Artemisine instead (for three days), but it is very expensive and forces many people to fall back on the well-known Chloroquine. Children under 5 years of age and pregnant women are supposed to get free treatment, but for many people in the countryside this service is not accessible or available.
Mosquito nets are a new technology for Fiarenana. They have been introduced in the hope that the villagers will experience the benefits of mosquito nets first hand as the rate of Malaria drops significantly.
See Malaria Prevention in Faidanana since 2006