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Children under five are particularly susceptible to Malaria
The grant will roll out community healthcare sites in Chad, intensifying efforts to prevent and treat malaria, which is the leading cause of illness and death in the country. Funds will be focused towards young children, pregnant women, refugees and nomads.
Samir Bouzid, UNDP project coordinator, said the programme is committed to alleviating the burden of malaria on Chad, its healthcare systems and its communities.
“The new programme will build on past experience, and focus on the most vulnerable populations and highest risk areas. It will involve communities in the fight against malaria, which is also a great way to build their resilience.”
Nomads, fishermen and Lake Chad islanders, as well as the 400,000 refugees and returnees in the eastern and southern regions of the country, are at great risk of malaria. Vulnerable and disadvantaged, they have limited access to clinics and professional medical staff.
Environmental factors, including heavy rain and extensive local paddy fields, further contribute to the disease’s spread.
Over 97% of the country’s 12 million-strong population are at risk of contracting malaria. Of the 1.27 million cases reported every year, more than 43% are in children under five, and 8% are pregnant women.
The grant intends to boost efforts by the country’s Ministry for Public Health, Social Action and National Solidarity, which has launched several initiatives to over the past six years to combat the disease.
The ministry has brought free emergency care to nomadic groups, provided additional programmes for pregnant women, established more rapid and accurate diagnostic tests and introduced the most effective antimalarial medicines.
UNDP programmes have also treated close to 2 million cases of malaria in the country each year since 2011, and distributed 4.3 million insecticide-treated bed nets.
The European Union recently announced it is stepping up its contribution to the Global Fund, which is due to be replenished this summer.
