RCE Lusaka - 2019

MAPPING INCIDENCE OF MALARIA AMONG VULNERABLE PEOPLE OF LUANO DISTRICT, CENTRAL ZAMBIA: LESSONS LEARNT.
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
MAPPING INCIDENCE OF MALARIA AMONG VULNERABLE PEOPLE OF LUANO DISTRICT, CENTRAL ZAMBIA: LESSONS LEARNT.
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Lusaka
Contributing organization(s) : 
1. UMOZI NETWORK
2. ZAMBIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH (THROUGH LOCAL HEALTH CENTRES)
3. HEAD PEOPLE IN THE AREA
4. YouthMappers, UNZA
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
BENARD CHILESHE
Organizational Affiliation: 
THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA
E-mail: 
bernchile@yahoo.com
Format of project: 
POWER POINT
Language of project: 
ENGLISH
Date of submission:
Sunday, May 5, 2019
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 3
At what level is the policy operating?: 
International
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Africa and Middle East
Country: 
Zambia
Location(s): 
CENTRAL PROVINCE OF ZAMBIA
Address of focal point institution for project: 
C/O SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA
P O BOX 32379
LUSAKA
ZAMBIA
Ecosystem(s):
Mountain
Target Audience:
Community
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Luano is a new district lying in the escarpment zone of central Zambia. With a population of 37,204 people, 3,650 households and density of 3.638 people/km2, the area is one of the most isolated and vulnerable regions in the country. With a poor road network, the region lags behind in terms of socio-economic development. The majority of people in the area live in poverty and squalor. The area depends on subsistence agriculture, growing crops such as maize, soya beans, groundnuts, sorghum and finger millet. Vagaries of weather (droughts alternating with floods) hinder substantial development in agriculture.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
The sustainable development challenge in the area addressed by the project is the incidence of malaria. Flooding in the valley areas of the region promotes high incidence of malaria. Malaria is still a major cause of sickness and death in Zambia (about 4,000 deaths/annum), particularly in rural areas such as Luano, where health facilities are either far-flung or non-existent at all. The most vulnerable are children under five years of age and pregnant women. In pregnant women, malaria contributes significantly to maternal deaths, maternal anaemia, premature delivery, and low-birth-weight infants.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
June, 2018 to June, 2019
Rationale: 
The Ministry of Health reports that malaria is generally endemic throughout Zambia, especially in the rural parts. The World Health Organization (WHO, May 2016) notes that disease epidemics result in substantial ill health and loss of lives. They, therefore, pose a threat to health security, undermine socio-economic lives and destabilize societies. Providing education and sensitization to rural communities (e.g. on residual spraying and use of insecticide treated nets) can help to them to respond appropriately to malaria prevention, and, therefore, minimize loss of lives and their disruptive consequences.
Objectives: 
1. To map the incidence of malaria in the region.
2. To establish the major challenges to malaria control in the area.
3. To hold malaria-prevention sensitization workshops in the area.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
1. Used a questionnaire to collect data on incidence of malaria and to establish the major challenges to malaria control in the area.
2. Used open street mapping technique to map the incidence of malaria in the area.
3. To hold malaria-prevention workshops in the area.
Size of academic audience: 
To six villages in the area.
Results: 
The project has so far identified the following challenges:
1. settlements further away from the district admin centre had higher incidence of malaria.
2. Age groups 5-15 years were more affected by malaria (did not receive insecticide treated mosquito nets).
3. Pregnant women were more favoured to get insecticide treated mosquito nets.
4. Men rarely presented themselves for treatment; therefore women appeared to suffer more from malaria.
5. Unkempt surroundings (tall grass, maize fields, puddles of water) contributed to prevalence of malaria.
6. People spent time outside the house in the evening exposing themselves to mosquitoes.
7. Hastily constructed dwellings let in mosquitoes.
8. Some people did not like using mosquito nets even if they had them.
9. Knowledge of malaria symptoms was very high.
10. Impacts of having malaria included children staying away from school; women who are home-minders,failing to run homes; men failing to till farmland; household money spent on procuring drugs.


Lessons learned: 
This study provided an insight into the challenges facing rural communities concerning the disease burden and how lack of amenities such as clinics and insecticide-treated mosquito nets impacts on them. However, it also points to the need to provide sensitisation (some people did not want to use nets) and lifting rural people out of poverty(some people could not use nets because they could not afford them).
Key messages: 
This study is important because information obtained may be useful to organizations working to eliminate malaria in Zambia. These organizations include the Zambian Ministry of Health, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other agencies such as USAID. The information is also important to members of the general public because malaria is prevalent in many parts of Zambia. It also provides a basis for interacting with the people of Luano district, who are key stakeholders in this study.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
This study essentially links well with other projects that RCE Lusaka has undertaken in the recent past, such as promotion of fish aquaculture to ensure sustainability in fish production in the country and among vulnerable communities; growing vegetables in sacks in order for students at the University of Zambia (and other communities where people live in compressed space) to have vegetables; harvesting rainwater at the University of Zambia.
Funding: 
The funding for this project was provided by YouthMappers and USAID.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Anopheles Mosquito
Map of Luano District
Tall grass around a homestead conducive for mosquito breeding
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Indirect
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Direct
Update: 
No