End Malaria - Blue Ribbon Clubs Celebrate One Year of Service in India
The Malaria Foundation International is pleased to report that its partners in Assam, India are celebrating one year of service as leaders of End Malaria – Blue Ribbon Clubs, which have been educating children and communities about malaria and reducing the prospects for illness, suffering and death caused by this disease.
Atlanta, GA, April 23, 2008 --(PR.com)-- During the monsoon season of 2006 there was a severe epidemic of cerebral malaria in Udalguri district of Assam. On a fateful day a doctor at Baptist Christian Hospital (BCH) Tezpur (A unit of Emmanuel hospital Association, New Delhi) remembers declaring seven children dead due to cerebral malaria in the emergency room.
The team at Tezpur decided something needed to be done, as most patients came into the hospital too late. With this in mind consultations were held with stakeholders in the community and a needs assessment survey was conducted by the end of 2006.
In February 2007 a Children Focused Malaria Control Program was launched in Udalguri Block of Udalguri District in Assam, with support from the TEAR Fund UK. The Project is called ADWR (pronounced adur) a word in Boro which means to care and to nurture.
The aim of the project is to prevent children from dying from a preventable and treatable disease.
The goal of the project is to empower children and their families to protect vulnerable children from communicable illnesses (malaria) and to help them to lead a healthy, safe and fulfilling life with dignity.
The project started with reaching out to 36 villages and 20 schools in the Udalguri Block. Subsequently, 5 additional villages were adopted, from which children with severe malaria sought treatment with the project. ADWR is now reaching out to more than 50 villages in the block covering a population of more than 30,000 and reaching out to more than 20,000 children.
The team at BCH under the leadership of Dr. Pratibha Singh initiated the concept of the End Malaria – Blue Ribbon clubs one year ago, in partnership with the Malaria Foundation. Support from the community leaders, government officials, school authorities and Choi Kwang Do Martial Arts International helped them to achieve great success in the first year.
“Our efforts were rewarded and in the intervention area there were no deaths or severe cases of malaria in the last year,” commented Dr. Singh. “We came together to celebrate with singing, dancing and enjoyed our first End Malaria – Blue Ribbon birthday cake. The cake was cut by Israel Basumatary (a seven year old who was brought to the hospital with severe malaria and anemia, and successfully treated) and other children who had benefited from the project. Students and community leaders are empowered by their accomplishments and the results they have achieved together.”
Looking ahead
A “Malaria Free” block and district is their goal, where no child dies because of malaria. For this they hope to train one End Malaria - Blue Ribbon volunteer in each village, for early diagnosis and prompt treatment and referral. Also, continued education given to children in schools, and communities will help change the behavior of an entire generation. This supplemented with advocacy for better treatment facilities from the government health system and consistent use of ITNs and correct treatment should lead us to the goal of ‘Ending Malaria’ in Udalguri district, empowering children and improving the standards and quality of life.
For more information please see the MFI website, www.malaria.org
Contacts:
MFI@malaria.org
Dr. Pratibha Singh
Director, Children Focused Malaria Control Program, ADWR
Dr. Mary R. Galinski
Founder & President, MFI
Dr. Esmeralda Meyer
Outreach Director, MFI
###
The team at Tezpur decided something needed to be done, as most patients came into the hospital too late. With this in mind consultations were held with stakeholders in the community and a needs assessment survey was conducted by the end of 2006.
In February 2007 a Children Focused Malaria Control Program was launched in Udalguri Block of Udalguri District in Assam, with support from the TEAR Fund UK. The Project is called ADWR (pronounced adur) a word in Boro which means to care and to nurture.
The aim of the project is to prevent children from dying from a preventable and treatable disease.
The goal of the project is to empower children and their families to protect vulnerable children from communicable illnesses (malaria) and to help them to lead a healthy, safe and fulfilling life with dignity.
The project started with reaching out to 36 villages and 20 schools in the Udalguri Block. Subsequently, 5 additional villages were adopted, from which children with severe malaria sought treatment with the project. ADWR is now reaching out to more than 50 villages in the block covering a population of more than 30,000 and reaching out to more than 20,000 children.
The team at BCH under the leadership of Dr. Pratibha Singh initiated the concept of the End Malaria – Blue Ribbon clubs one year ago, in partnership with the Malaria Foundation. Support from the community leaders, government officials, school authorities and Choi Kwang Do Martial Arts International helped them to achieve great success in the first year.
“Our efforts were rewarded and in the intervention area there were no deaths or severe cases of malaria in the last year,” commented Dr. Singh. “We came together to celebrate with singing, dancing and enjoyed our first End Malaria – Blue Ribbon birthday cake. The cake was cut by Israel Basumatary (a seven year old who was brought to the hospital with severe malaria and anemia, and successfully treated) and other children who had benefited from the project. Students and community leaders are empowered by their accomplishments and the results they have achieved together.”
Looking ahead
A “Malaria Free” block and district is their goal, where no child dies because of malaria. For this they hope to train one End Malaria - Blue Ribbon volunteer in each village, for early diagnosis and prompt treatment and referral. Also, continued education given to children in schools, and communities will help change the behavior of an entire generation. This supplemented with advocacy for better treatment facilities from the government health system and consistent use of ITNs and correct treatment should lead us to the goal of ‘Ending Malaria’ in Udalguri district, empowering children and improving the standards and quality of life.
For more information please see the MFI website, www.malaria.org
Contacts:
MFI@malaria.org
Dr. Pratibha Singh
Director, Children Focused Malaria Control Program, ADWR
Dr. Mary R. Galinski
Founder & President, MFI
Dr. Esmeralda Meyer
Outreach Director, MFI
###
Contact
Malaria Foundation International
Dr. Mary R. Galinski
770-891-1604
www.malaria.org
Dr. Esmeralda Meyer
Esmeralda.Meyer@gmail.com
Dr. Mary R. Galinski
770-891-1604
www.malaria.org
Dr. Esmeralda Meyer
Esmeralda.Meyer@gmail.com
Contact
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