ZAMBIA / MALARIA PROTECTION

Malaria is the leading cause of death in Zambia. The disease also poses a threat to the economy, by crippling the workforce. But a concerted effort by Zambia to raise awareness and protect people is achieving good results. WORLD BANK

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:49
• Production Date: 8 January 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: WORLD BANK
• Subject Topical: DISEASE PREVENTION; DISEASE CONTROL; DISEASES
• Geographic Subject: ZAMBIA
• MAMS Id: U100108d

Description

STORY: ZAMBIA/ MALARIA PROTECTION
TRT: 2.49
SOURCE: WORLD BANK
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ BEMBA/ NATS

DATELINE: JUNE 2009, ZAMBIA

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, mosquitoes dancing in water
2. Close up, mosquitoes in water
3. Wide shot, sunset in Zambia village
4. Pan left, inhabitants in village
5. Close up, baby crying and scratching
6. SOUNDBITE (Bemba) Ida Mwapwa, Headwoman, Lubemba village:
“When I suffered from malaria, I thought I would die. I felt very weak with pain in my joints. My body temperature rose very high. I was rushed to the hospital and treated. The thing about malaria is that it renders you useless.”
7. Med shot, village chief walking out of hut
8. Wide shot, bus driving away
9. SOUNDBITE (Bemba) Thomas Mwapwa, Headman, Lubemba village:
“We had very serious problems with malaria until we received assistance from the Ministry of Health. They came and sprayed in all the homes and brought us mosquito nets. Now we enjoy good health free from malaria.”
10. Med shot, fumigators talking to home-owners
11. Close up, fumigator and net
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Elisabeth Chisema Kawesha, Director, Zambia Malaria Control Program:
“All intervention really goes down to the grass roots through the community so the community must at first accept the interventions otherwise the intervention will not be effective.”
13. Wide shot, people dousing mosquito net in poison
14. Med shot, men fumigating bedroom
15. Close up, men fumigating bedroom
16. Med shot, men fumigating bedroom
17. Close up, sprayer and wall
18. Wide shot, group meeting
19. Close up, mosquito net
20. Close up, mother and child
21. Wide shot, social worker greeting expectant mother
22. Close up, pregnant women
23. Med shot, social worker
24. SOUNDBITE (Bemba) Rhoda Kapaipi, Community Health worker, Mumbwa District:
“The level of knowledge is quite high in the area now since there is a great appreciation of what the campaign has achieved; the before and after picture is very vivid. There was so much suffering before the campaign.”
25. Med shot, nurse taking blood of baby patient
26. Close up, needle and baby arm
27. Close up, blood testing device
28. Med shot, mom consoling baby
29. Close up, nurse placing liquid into tester
30. Med shot, man getting into a van, cars door sticker
31. Med shot, fumigators knocking on door
32. Close up, malaria tester showing “negative”
33. Med shot, shot nurse telling mother all is ok
34. Med shot, mother smiling
35. Wide shot, children and mom walking away

Storyline

A concerted effort by the Zambian government to raise awareness and protect people from malaria, the leading cause of death in the country, is achieving good results.

Malaria is a persistent and common threat in most of Zambia, killing over 50,000 people a year. The disease hits the country’s children especially hard; 40 percent of under-five deaths are due to malaria.

SOUNDBITE (Bemba) Ida Mwapwa, Headwoman, Lubemba village:
“When I suffered from malaria, I thought I would die. I felt very weak with pain in my joints. My body temperature rose very high. I was rushed to the hospital and treated. The thing about malaria is that it renders you useless.”

The effect on the economy is also devastating. It is estimated that the loss of productivity due to illness can cost the country US$100 million a year and reduce personal income by roughly 18 percent .

SOUNDBITE (Bemba) Thomas Mwapwa, Headman, Lubemba village:
“We had very serious problems with malaria until we received assistance from the Ministry of Health. They came and sprayed in all the homes and brought us mosquito nets. Now we enjoy good health free from malaria.”

Superstitions still abound about spraying huts and sleeping under bed nets - fears such as suffocation or impotency in men - but the government of Zambia, with help from the World Bank, is educating Zambians about the disease and how to avoid it.

SOUNDBITE (English) Elisabeth Chisema Kawesha, Director, Zambia Malaria Control Program:
“All intervention really goes down to the grass roots through the community so the community must at first accept the interventions otherwise the intervention will not be effective.”

Getting families to use insecticide treated bed nets when they sleep is all important. Evidence shows that when bed nets are combined with regular spraying inside houses, the risk of malaria falls dramatically.
In rural areas, many people simply aren’t aware of the threat from mosquito-borne malaria. Community health workers are educating villagers about the danger, and about the best ways to protect against it.

The program focuses on children and pregnant women because low resistance puts them at especially high risk.

SOUNDBITE (Bemba) Rhoda Kapaipi, Community Health worker, Mumbwa District:
“The level of knowledge is quite high in the area now since there is a great appreciation of what the campaign has achieved; the before and after picture is very vivid. There was so much suffering before the campaign.”

Speed is key in treating malaria, those with the disease need treatment within 24 hours of getting symptoms. This means regular testing and immediate treatment.

When all these practices, from nets to medicines, are in place, the results are immediate. Cases of malaria in Zambia have been cut by some 30 percent and deaths by 35 to 40 percent.