Jenifer James
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan made tremendous steps in the fight against malaria with 48 per cent of the households sleeping under a mosquito net.
This was revealed when the National Malaria Control Program under the Ministry of Health launched the 2023 South Sudan malaria indicators survey on Monday.
The aim of the survey is to evaluate the progress made against the target malaria control set forth by the National Malaria Strategy Plan 2020–2025.
Speaking during the event, the undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ader Macar, said implementing intermittent malaria preventive measures for pregnant women in health facilities has paid off since 2017.
“From 2022 to date alone, the Ministry has distributed close to 4 million nets to the communities, and there are an outstanding amount of about 3 million not distributed, so that puts a huge task on us to fulfil that and distribute the rest of the nets,” Ader said.
“With regard to the test and treatment approach, we are implementing case management at the community and health facility levels,” he further said, adding that “we are currently distributing drugs to all areas of the country, and we hope that the community can access them.”
According to Ader, effective malaria control remains paramount and can only be effective if guided by data, as “will be produced in the Malaria Indicator Survey— the third Malaria Indicator Survey to be conducted in South Sudan following the 2013 and 2017 surveys.
He called upon all partners to embrace the findings and support the ministry in mobilizing resources critical to the implementation of the findings in order to achieve an impact for the benefit of residents of South Sudan.
“I commit myself to the effort for zero malaria by saving zero malaria. It starts with me, and it starts with you too,” he said.
This 2023 Malaria Indicator Survey is aimed at assessing the coverage and use of key malaria control interventions, including parasitemia and anaemia, in children and the progress towards nationally and globally set goals.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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