Hi all!
So I just returned to Mulanje from a trip to Lilongwe for a (mini) STOMP Out Malaria boot camp. It was such a wonderful week! Kudos to Brooke Mancuso—our national malaria coordinator— for planning a successful camp! The STOMP Malaria team in Malawi has now more than doubled from 4 to 10 people.
Last weekend, I traveled to Blantyre which is the nearest big city to me and a good stopping place between Bondo and Lilongwe. I met up with some PCVs there and was able to meet some of our new education volunteers along the way. We have a new education volunteer coming to Mulanje, so we’ll be a solid crew of five. I was able to explore the city some, even found some incense and a yarn store which was exciting!
When we reached Lilongwe, it was so nice to be reunited with volunteers from our H&E 2014 group—especially the ones who live far up north! We had a great time hanging out and being able to catch up all week.
Our training began with learning about the basic biology of the malaria parasite, but we delved into so much interesting stuff all week. Primarily we discussed current interventions happening in Malawi and where funding comes from, ways we can help in our own communities and villages, and what resources are available to us. Although I thought I knew a decent amount about malaria before this week, now I feel like a master! I’m so excited to go back to my village and begin assessing what my community knows about malaria and how many actually have and/or use mosquito nets. Whenever I ask my neighbors about nets, they always tell me they don't have them, but, as I learned from my health program director when we talked about it, sometimes that just isn’t true. Many just want more nets so they can sell them or use them in their gardens to keep insects away.
We also received a “malaria tool kit” which I think will prove to be very useful! In it are all kinds of resources for doing activities. For example, soap and needles for leading a mosquito net repair and maintenance event where people can come learn to wash their nets and sew up any holes. We were also given a plethora of lesson plans and games to incorporate into schools or various groups throughout the community.
My plan for when I first return to site is to go around to houses with my counterpart and/or the chief of my village and ask people about mosquito net usage. Then I will ask if they can show me their net and if I can take a picture of them and their net. I will use these pictures later on a Wall of Fame or Brag Board at the health center, displaying the families who do in fact use their mosquito nets. Hopefully this will raise awareness of malaria as well as encourage others to want to have their picture up, thereby increasing the number of people sleeping under nets! Sleeping under a net is the easiest way to protect yourself from transmitting malaria. Creating this census of mosquito net availability and usage in my village will help me understand how to best focus my efforts. Either I’ll be promoting sleeping under a net or, if people don’t have nets/can’t afford them until the mass distribution that is set to happen next year, I will focus on encouraging people to go to the health center for diagnosis and treatment of malaria as soon as they recognize the symptoms.
The crazy thing about malaria and Africa is that many natives have developed an immunity to the parasite. If someone gets malaria so many times before the age of 5 and doesn’t die, then they can develop this immunity. However, even though the parasite may not effect them, if a mosquito bites this person with immunity and then bites an infant or a pregnant mother, it will transmit the parasite to this at-risk person. Therefore, people should go to the health center the minute they think they may have malaria because they will receive the medicine that knocks out the parasite in their body thereby halting transmission.
Anyway, before I go off too much on my soapbox, Malaria is a huge issue in Africa, but also specifically in Malawi. It’s a preventable disease, more work just needs to done—especially at the village level. So, this makes me pretty excited and motivated to begin working to STOMP out malaria in Malawi.
That’s it for now; thanks for reading guys! And for the continued support!
Xo
Emma