22 Apr 2010

MOZAMBIQUE / WORLD MALARIA DAY ADVANCER

Malaria kills a third of all children in Mozambique and leads not only to deaths but also cripples productivity and contributes to poverty in many parts of Africa. UNICEF

Posted at: April 22, 2010 11:41 am

Duration: 03:58

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: MOZAMBIQUE / WORLD MALARIA DAY ADVANCER
TRT: 3:58
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / PORTUGUESE / NATS
 
DATELINE: 7-9 APRIL 2010, TETE PROVINCE, MOZAMBIQUE
 
SHOTLIST
 
1. Various shot, malaria infected child being treated in hospital
2. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Luisa Cumba, Tete Provincal Health Director:
"There is no doubt that malaria represents a significant health burden in the province of Tete because it remains the first cause of consultation, first cause of hospitalization and first cause of mortality particularly amongst children aged between zero and five years old."
3. Wide shot, bridge
4. Med shot, children carrying water
5. Med shot, children at river's edge
6. Wide shot, Tete Province new hospital
7. Various shots, hospital waiting room
8. Various shots, patients being treated for malaria
9. Various shots, people washing at river
10. Various shots, patients being treated in hospital
11. Close up, Aida Olimpio waiting at rural clinic in Chiuta district
12. Various shots, rural clinic
13. Various shots, education session on malaria at clinic
14. Various shots, Aida being examined and treated
15. Various shots, children and mothers at clinic
16. Various shots, people gather in Kaunda district to receive free bednets
17. Various shots, bednet distribution
18 SOUNDBITE (English) Barbara Kerstiens, European Union, Mozambique Delegation:
"We at the European Commission think that prevention of malaria is feasible, especially if people realise how serious it is and how by sleeping under a mosquito net they can prevent the illness and this can prevent  to the cost to the family in the death of a child or the death of a pregnant women."
19. Various shots, bednet distribution
20. Various shots, home of Anna, sleeping under a bednet
 
SCRIPT
 
Bonita Gomes's life hangs in the balance. Her frail body has been attacked by malaria and the three year old is in a coma.  Her mother anxious about her high fever took her 30 kilometres on the back of a motorbike to the nearest health post in the middle of the night. A rapid blood test indicated she had severe malaria with complications.  Quickly referred to the hospital she was given a blood transfusion and put on quinine.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Luisa Cumba Tete Provincal Health Director:
"There is no doubt that malaria represents a significant health burden in the province of Tete because it remains the first cause of consultation, first cause of hospitalization and first cause of mortality particularly amongst children aged between zero and five years old."

In Mozambique a third of all children die from malaria and it's the largest single killer of children under five. Tete Province's newly renovated hospital, the outpatient ward is busy.  The small lab does 60 to 70 blood tests a day.

Malaria is a scourge in many parts of Africa, not only leading to death but also crippling productivity and contributing to poverty.

In the last few years an aggressive strategy led by the Ministry of Health, with support from partners such as the European Union, UNICEF and the Global Fund, has been introduced to prevent its deadly impact.

Aida Olimpio is six months pregnant has arrived for her antenatal consultation.  It's taken her a day to walk to the rural clinic Chiuta district. While she waits for her consultation, an education session is conducted on the virtues of sleeping under a long lasting, insecticide treated mosquito net.   Having lost her first child from fever, she pays close attention.

After the examination, Aida is given Fansidar™ prophylactic that helps to fend off the disease, iron tablets to help prevent anaemia and a new net to take home.  It should protect her and her unborn child for the next five years.

So far the focus has been on giving nets to those most at risk, pregnant women, children under five and those living with HIV, but with the programme already demonstrating that nets work, the government is starting an ambitious plan to roll out nets to everyone.

In Kaunda district, the scorching heat does not deter the thousands of people who wait patiently in the hot sun to receive a net.  Thirty thousand will be distributed over ten days. The team from the Ministry of Health has spent months planning how to best distribute nets to every household.  Going door to door, they have calculated how many nets are needed for each family.

SOUNDBITE (English) Barbara Kerstiens, European Union, Mozambique Delegation:
"We at the European Commission think that prevention of malaria is feasible, especially if people realise how serious it is and how by sleeping under a mosquito net they can prevent the illness and this can prevent  to the cost to the family in the death of a child or the death of a pregnant women."

The success of Mozambique's malaria strategy is already leading to concrete results.  In the last year alone in Tete Province they estimate that the number of cases has dropped by almost 70 percent and death by almost ninety percent.

For four day old Anna, sleeping peacefully, the mosquito net is her guardian angel, giving her the opportunity to survive the next few critical years to grow up healthy and strong.