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SOMALIA / MALARIA
STORY: SOMALIA / MALARIA
TRT: 8.32
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/ NATS
DATELINE: 24 SEPTEMBER 2011, SOMALIA
1. Wide shot, preparation of malaria sprayers
2. Med shot, preparation of malaria sprayers
3. Close up, malaria sprayer putting on his mask
4. Med shot, two malaria sprayers fully equipped
5. Wide shot, malaria sprayers walking towards class for theoretical training
6. Med shot, malaria sprayers entering classroom
7. Med shot, entomologist distributing writing materials to malaria sprayers in readiness for training session
8. Med shot, malaria sprayers in the classroom
9. Pan right, spray tanks
10. Pan left, sprayers attending the lecture
11. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Farah Sahil, Entomologist:
“Malaria is a disease that is spread by mosquitoes and affects all people. When the mosquito bites someone with malaria, the insect gets infected with the disease. The parasite develops inside the mosquito. When the parasite reaches the stage for transmission, the mosquito transmits it to a healthy person. That person is now infected with malaria. The symptoms of malaria include, fever, headache, backache, pain in the joints and limps and vomiting.”
12. Wide shot, classroom
13. Various shots, entomologist teaching
14. Various shots, malaria sprayers in classroom
15. Close up, malaria sprayer’s hand taking notes
16. Med shot, malaria sprayers taught how to fit their masks
17. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Farah Sahil, Entomologist:
“The major risk groups for malaria are pregnant women, children and the elderly.”
18. Med shot, malaria sprayers
19. Various shots, malaria sprayers being taught how to use the sprayer correctly
20. Wide shot, entomologist showing how to pump for pressure in the tank
21. Various shots, malaria sprayer pumping pressure in his tank
22. Various shots, malaria sprayer exercising how to spray
23. Wide shot, malaria sprayers ready to go to the households to start spraying
24. Med shot, malaria sprayer asking permission from the resident to spray her house
25. Various shots, resident, removing stuff from the room that will get sprayed
26. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Fatuma Ahmed Shide, Local Resident:
“I got infected with malaria several times and I was taken to Hargeisa hospital for treatment. It is a killer disease.”
27. Various shots, malaria sprayer spraying the room
28. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Mohamud Hassan Adan, Malaria Sprayer:
“Spraying a house is very important. It can keep mosquitoes away for a long time. Once a house is sprayed, it is protected for at least the next six months.”
29. Wide shot, malaria sprayer spraying the room
30. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Mohamud Hassan Adan, Malaria Sprayer:
“We divide ourselves into two teams, with each team having five sprayers. Each team has a supervisor who heads the team. When we come to a house, we ask the inhabitants permission and some questions. Once permission is granted, each team member starts to spray the various rooms and after 15 minutes we are finished.”
31. Close up, malaria sprayer spraying the room
32. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Fatuma Ahmed Shide, Local Resident:
“A team came to spray my house today, as the mosquitoes are really disturbing us a lot. I find the spraying and eradication of mosquitoes very beneficial.”
33. Wide shot, house with children sitting outside
34. Med shot, children
35. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Fatuma Ahmed Shide, Local Resident:
“At night I use a mosquito net, I let the house spray, and sometimes smoke the house with aloe vera. I also close the windows of the house before the night falls.”
36. Med shot, child
Although the malaria situation in drought affected Somalia remains stable, the World Health Organization (WHO) is providing technical assistance to prevent the spread of the disease.
During August 2011, a total of 2,572 suspected malaria cases were reported in South and Central Somalia, including 1,038 cases under the age of five and nine related deaths, eight are under the age of five.
Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.
SOUNDBITE (Somali) Farah Sahil, Entomologist:
“Malaria is a disease that is spread by mosquitoes and affects all people. When the mosquito bites someone with malaria, the insect gets infected with the disease. The parasite develops inside the mosquito. When the parasite reaches the stage for transmission, the mosquito transmits it to a healthy person. That person is now infected with malaria. The symptoms of malaria include, fever, headache, backache, pain in the joints and limps and vomiting.”
Key response activities to control malaria in Somalia include indoor residue spraying of 6,800 households that started last week in North Somalia as well as 711,000 high risk IDP households across the country will get protected either through spraying or provision of Zero-fly sheeting.
Almost 200,000 long-lasting insecticide nets were distributed in 2011. Health partners are in the process of implementing a malaria emergency preparedness plan.
Malaria transmission ranges from unstable and epidemic in Puntland and Somaliland to moderate in central Somalia to high in the south. It is estimated that approximately 75 percent of Somalia's people live in areas that support unstable or very low transmission and less than 0.1 percent live in areas classified as high, intense transmission.
SOUNDBITE (Somali) Farah Sahil, Entomologist:
“The major risk groups for malaria are pregnant women, children and the elderly.”
Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, and vomiting, and usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If not treated, malaria can quickly become life-threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs.
SOUNDBITE (Somali) Fatuma Ahmed Shide, Local Resident:
“I got infected with malaria several times and I was taken to Hargeisa hospital for treatment. It is a killer disease.”
Key interventions to control malaria include prompt and effective treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies; use of insecticidal nets by people at risk; and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) with insecticide to control the vector mosquitoes.
SOUNDBITE (Somali) Mohamud Hassan Adan, Malaria Sprayer:
“Spraying a house is very important. It can keep mosquitoes away for a long time. Once a house is sprayed, it is protected for at least the next six months. We divide ourselves into two teams, with each team having five sprayers. Each team has a supervisor who heads the team. When we come to a house, we ask the inhabitants permission and some questions. Once permission is granted, each team member starts to spray the various rooms and after 15 minutes we are finished.”
According to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), the country reports sufficient stocks of malaria commodities either in country or under procurement. Quinine for the treatment of severe malaria is under procurement, and insecticides are available for IRS including for spraying in drought-affected areas.
The country is short of approximately 2.7 million Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets to achieve universal coverage for household protection.
SOUNDBITE (Somali) Fatuma Ahmed Shide, Local Resident:
“A team came to spray my house today, as the mosquitoes are really disturbing us a lot. I find the spraying and eradication of mosquitoes very beneficial. At night I use a mosquito net, I let the house spray, and sometimes smoke the house with aloe vera. I also close the windows of the house before the night falls.”
The malaria emergency preparedness and response plan for drought affected areas including identification of outstanding gaps is currently being finalized by the FMOH.
Priorities for malaria control vary across the country, according to variations in endemicity. In the north, the priorities are to reduce transmission through vector control and to ensure epidemic preparedness; in the more endemic south and central areas, the priorities are to reduce malaria morbidity and to prevent mortality in high-risk groups through early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
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