In Africa, an estimated 300 to 500 million cases of malaria occur each year. Malaria causes 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths. More than 90% of these deaths occur in children under 5 years of age in Africa. Malaria has been estimated to cause 2.3% of global disease and 9% of disease in Africa. Cases in Africa account for approximately 90% of malaria cases in the world. Luckily, new medication has been made available to the hospital to treat malaria -- this treatment is proving very effective, yet the health care workers at the hospital are concerned that the government resources to provide this medication will soon run out.
Exhausted from a middle-of-the-night trek to the hospital from deep in the bush.
Sister Georgette, a nurse practitioner at the Bishop Asili Hospital in Luwero, Uganda is concerned that the malaria cases are on the rise in Uganda. Uganda harbors one of the most menacing species of mosquito when it comes to malaria.
The laboratory is small but efficient. The one lab technician performs thousands of blood tests each month for malaria, HIV, meningitis and more.
A simple insecticide-treated bed net keeps malaria-carrying mosquitoes out at night. Nightime is when this type of mosquito is most active.
Often coupled with intestinal disorders and malnutrition, malaria leads to extreme dehydration. Often before malaria treatment can even begin, children must receive intravenous hydration, as in the case with this little girl.
A few sweets make the day go a little easier.
This little boy is suffering with meningitis and malaria. In many instances, the nurses at the hospital begin malaria treatment even before diagnosis because it is so common -- early treatment can prevent life-long brain injury and other disorders.
Nyangoma's little brother with malaria.
There are many programs in the U.S. now to raise awareness about the grave toll of malaria. Millions of dollars are being raised to send insecticide-treated bed nets to Africa. We visited the UNICEF offices to find out what the plans are in Uganda.
We met with the Senior Project Officer for Uganda, a very knowledgeable pediatrician. From what we could determine together, bed nets had not reached Uganda yet.
We met with the procurement officer at UNICEF in Uganda. We were told that the only way to get bed nets at this time to the hospital and to provide them for distribution to the larger community was to buy them through UNICEF's procurement offices in Europe. We are now raising funds and going through the paperwork to make this happen as quickly as possible.
