Health authorities launch Malaria Indicator Survey

Maputo, 10 Nov (AIM) – The Malaria Indicator Survey in the southern region of Mozambique is budgeted at 150 million meticais (2.3 million dollars at the current exchange rate), according to Deputy Health Minister, Ilesh Jani.

According to Jani, who was speaking on Thursday in Manhiça district, about 90 kilometres north of Maputo, during the Survey Launch, the study is being funded by the Global Fund and by the Mozambican government, through the National Health Institute (INS), the Ministry of Health’s Malaria Programme and the Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM).

Conducted by the National Health Institute (INS), in partnership with the National Statistics Institute (INE), the study aims to monitor malaria indicators at household level and measure progress and targets set in a region with low and moderate malaria transmission.

“This survey will cover around 12,000 households. In these households, we will interview and study in depth women of childbearing age and children between the ages of one and 59 months”, Jani said.

“This survey is starting now, the field work will last until the end of December this year and then, in the first months of next year, we will work on issues of laboratory analysis and statistical analysis so that we can have preliminary results of the survey by March next year”, he added.

To carry out the survey, 29 teams will be on the ground, made up of five people each.

Overall, it is estimated that around 200 people are involved in this process, including coordination staff, supervisors, laboratory staff and many others.

“In these three provinces (Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane) we want to study the prevalence of malaria, the penetration of the malaria control measures implemented by the Ministry of Health, and people’s attitudes and behavior towards malaria”, Jani explained.

The survey also aims to study anemia and the genetic diversity of the malaria parasite.

“At the end of the survey, in March, we hope to have results, and from these we will then understand more precisely what the malaria situation is in each of the districts of these three provinces”, he stressed.

(AIM)

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