Survey shows distribution of mosquito nets helping to reduce cases of malaria

THE distribution of mosquito nets throughout the country has contributed in successfully reducing malaria, a survey has shown.
Institute of Medical Research malaria control programme evaluations senior research fellow Dr Justin Pulford said a survey conducted with 7,000 people in 53 villages of 16 provinces in 2008 and 2009 and
9,000 people in 77 villages in 17 provinces in 2010 and 2011 had showed a drop in the prevalence of malaria.
At the end of a five-day malaria summit in Port Moresby last Friday, Pulford said of all the blood samples collected during the survey 12.4% tested positive in 2009, while only 7.8% tested positive in 2011.
He said the survey was conducted before and after mosquito net distributions.
He said people using nets were 38% less likely to get infected with malaria.
Pulford said the study was carried out before the use of other interventions such as Mala 1 or artametha lumifentrine.
He said continuous funding from the government was important to sustain malaria control after 2014 when funding from the Global Fund would end.
He said failure to do so would see resurgence in malaria after the “Stop Malaria” campaign.
He said mass media awareness by the Population Services International on the use of mosquito nets to avoid infection had educated people in using nets, leading to the decrease in malaria cases.
Assistant Health secretary Dr Paison Dakulala said the trends in malaria incidence and mortality in the country over the past six years saw a decrease by 33% from 305 per 1,000 to in 2005 to 202 per 1,000 in 2009.
Dakulala said mortality had fallen from 12 per 100,000 to eight per 100,000 in 2009, a 33.3% drop.