HEALTH advocates have challenged the government and civil society organisations (CSOs) to work together in promoting malaria control and prevention in Zimbabwe.
Mashonaland West provincial health promotions officer George Kambondo made the call on Thursday during an orientation of CSOs on Malaria Strategies and Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) in Kadoma.
Participants were drawn from Hurungwe and Makonde districts from Mashonaland West province, while Masvingo province had Mwenezi, Zaka, Bikita and Chiredzi districts.
Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe facilitated the training, where CSOs were urged to work closely with communities.
Kambondo said communities rely on community based focal people on health matters.
“Let us raise awareness among CSOs on the key vulnerabilities, causes, signs and symptoms of malaria prevention strategies specific to their area of work and residence. CSOs’ awareness on the importance of malaria prevention and treatment is vital in the support and promotion of malaria prevention strategies,” he said.
“Therefore, we need to foster partnerships between the Health and Child Care ministry and CSOs to strengthen malaria elimination initiatives within the Zimbabwean social structure.”
Kambondo said CSOs are the most respected and trustworthy institutions or agents linking communities to the wider population, potentially to greatly enhance public health work.
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“CSOs can, therefore, be a powerful strategy in the fight against malaria,” Kambondo added.
Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike called upon the government, the private sector and the civic society to pool resources together to ensure the implementation of innovative national strategies to accelerate progress against this old age disease.
“This must be done with full community engagement to ensure understanding and complete buy-in from the areas where the programmes are being implemented,” he said.
“We also urge the government to continue implementing the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended prevention strategies such as residual spraying of houses in high transmission areas and distribution of treated mosquito nets.”
There are worrying reports of some communities turning donated mosquito nets into fishing nets.
Others use them to fence their homes, gardens and fowl runs, in a development that hinders the fight against malaria.
“This clearly points to the urgent need to strengthen health promotion programmes in such communities as community participation and ownership of programs requires adequate information,” Rusike said.
In recent years, Zimbabwe has been experiencing a surge in incidences of malaria, with some areas which were once malaria free zones also reporting cases of the disease.
