Protecting children against malaria in Indonesia

Malaria kills a child somewhere in the world every 30 seconds and affects the lives and development of over 2.2 billion people in over 100 countries. Malaria strikes up to 20 per cent of Indonesians.

Treatment and tools can help protect children against malaria: sleeping under insecticide-treated nets can reduce child mortality by 20 per cent – no wonder then that UNICEF buys more mosquito nets than anyone else in the world.

Prompt access to health treatment when children contract malaria is, of course, vital and the spraying of insecticides can help prevent the spread of the disease.

Soccer Aid 2006 funds have supported:

• Bednet distribution programmes as part of the Bebas Malaria Campaign (Malaria Free Campaign) in the seven most affected districts of Aceh and Nias. In 2007, UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and NGO partners distributed over one million insecticide-treated bednets.

(The impact of this programme has been encouraging. Results from a survey of seven districts in Aceh showed that the use of nets for children under the age of five and pregnant women increased from none to over 70 per cent in the targeted areas. In turn, some villages have seen the number of people carrying malaria parasites in their blood drop by more than 45 per cent.)

• The increased capacity for diagnosis and treatment in 127 health centres and 26 hospitals in Aceh, 65 health centres in North Sumatra, and 26 health centres in Nias and Nias Selatan.
• The training of 200 malaria microscopists and laboratory technicians in Aceh and North Sumatra. Microscopes are the most reliable instrument in detecting malaria parasites in someone’s blood.
• The training of 4,072 village volunteers. These ‘cadres’ help to educate communities on malaria prevention, working with drama groups and schools. They can also diagnose suspected malaria cases and refer patients to health centres for treatment.
• Mobile video units, radio adverts and even a comic which promote dengue and malaria prevention.

With only 50 to 60 per cent of Acehnese people aware that malaria is transferred by mosquitos, an important aspect of the Bebas Malaria Campaign is to raise awareness of the dangers of malaria, its causes and prevention.

Read about the Bebas Malaria - Malaria Free campaign

Watch a film of UNICEF Ambassador David Beckham talking about how malaria affects children.

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