3700 nets donated in September

Following is the press release from the September 14, 2010 delivery of 3700 mosquito nets to Angolan humanitarian organizations:
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The Angola Mosquito Nets Project has been operational since 2000 and has raised approximately $175,000 from individual donors in Angola and overseas and from Angola-based oil companies and oil service companies.  The funds are used to buy mosquito nets and donate them to responsible aid/humanitarian organizations in Angola who then distribute them to Angolans in areas, mainly in the provinces, where there is a great need for mosquito nets.  To date, we have purchased and distributed about 25,000 nets from the funds raised.

This project is operated by volunteers, both expatriate and Angolan, and there are no administration or overhead costs involved.  We buy high quality, insecticide impregnated mosquito nets from a supplier in Luanda (CICCI Angola) at $7.50 per net.  Since we have no administration or overhead costs, all funds raised are dedicated to buying nets.  For example, if we received a donation of $750, we buy 100 nets with it and the donor is assured that the nets will be distributed to Angolans needing nets.

On Thursday, September 16 (10:00 AM) we will be donating 3700 nets to Save the Children, Development Workshop, Luanda TB Hospital, Benguela orphanage and various church organizations including the Baptist Mission.  The location is the CICCI office, Rua Fernado Mendes Pinto 38-40, Alvalade, Luanda.

Organizations which donated funds for these nets in the September 16 handover include Chevron, Tullow Oil, Statoil, Fugro, the Viking Club of Luanda, the International School of Luanda, families in Ireland, Norway and Canada and churches in the United Kingdom and Luanda.  In previous years, this project has also donated nets to organizations including Oxfam, UNICEF, Norwegian Refugee Council, Medair, Concern and church organizations.

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Net recipients: Save the Children, Development Workshop, Luanda TB Hospital, Luanda Pediatric Hospital, PEPE Program (Preschool Education Program), Baptist Mission, Catete Catholic Mission, ProMica (Women Helping Women), Benguela Orphanage, Moxico Childrens Centre, Boys Home Huambo, Sergio Simao Alfabitazao (Literacy Program)

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DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE TRANSFER HERE.

DOWNLOAD LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS & AMOUNTS HERE.

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE IN ENGLISH HERE.

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE IN PORTUGUESE  HERE.

Angola Mosquito Net Project reaches the province of Bie

Teachers in rural areas and women participating in a micro credit program were the happy recipients of mosquitonets donated by our project to the international NGO, Concern Worldwide, which is working in the province of Bie. Approximately 500 teachers and administrative staff received nets and about 200 women who depend on their small vegetable farms to bring in an income, received free nets to help protect their families from malaria.

The teachers are part of a distant education programme and once a month all teachers come together for training. At their October workshop organized by Concern’s Education Officer, the teachers learned about malaria and what steps they must take to prevent it. Since nets are the first line of defence against malaria, they were excited to each receive their own family size net. They learned how easy it is to hang a net during the demonstration given at the workshop.

The Education Officer carried out a health survey with the people who were going to receive the donated mosquito nets and this is what he discovered:
1. The teachers have limited knowledge on what causes malaria, how to prevent it and how to use mosquito nets
2. The only anti-malaria campaign in these municipalities is the Government’s programme, which mainly targets pregnant women and children under the age of 5
3. The majority of families don’t use mosquito nets
4. The distance to the medical clinics are huge and many persons do not have access to basic services. In Cachingues where Concern has a big presence, some villagers have to walk more than 50 kilometres to reach the nearest health post. Additionally, all secondary roads have not yet been cleared for mines. Bie is one of the provinces that was the most heavily mined during the war. Halo Trust has recently started to clear one of the secondary roads. They found 8 mines during the preliminary test search
5. There is limited access to mosquito nets in rural areas

During the training session, several additional items were discussed such as using traditional herbal medicine for prevention and treatment and how to diagnose malaria.

Download the PDF announcement here.

Universo magazine features AMNP

The Angola Mosquto Net Project is featured in the latest issue of Universo magazine in an article about mosquito net distribution in Angola. The article is titled ‘Biting Back’ and can be read on Universo’s digital edition, pages 20 to 25 at http://view.vcab.com/?vcabid=enaSrrlcSccapgl. Universo is published in Angola by Sonangol.

Also featured in the article: USAID and UNICEF and mention of the recent trip by Elliot Yamin, a singer from the TV show American Idol and one of the show’s judges, Kara DioGuardi, who both came to Angola to distribute free nets. Their effort was facilitated by Esso Angola as Exxon Mobil is a sponsor of the tv show’s initiative Idol Gives Back.

US doubles financial aid in 2010 to fight malaria

The the United States ambassador to Angola, Dan Mozena, announced earlier this month that United States assistance to Angola in 2010 has increased from US$ 18 million to US$ 32 million per year for the fight against malaria. It’s estimated that there are over three million cases of malaria each year in Angola, which has a population of just 17 million. Read more at http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/united-states-double-financial-aid-to-fight-endemic-diseases-in-angola-2010050648877.html

GMO mosquitos as flying malaria ‘vaccinators’

A new research study in the journal Insect Molecular Biology is making news headlines around the world this week. As reported on March 19 in The Telegraph newspaper online, the study reveals that “scientists in Japan have engineered an insect producing a natural vaccine protein in its saliva which is injected into the bloodstream when it bites.” Scientists are still working on developing an effective malaria vaccine, so the study was very much a “proof of concept,” said the study leader Professor Shigeto Yoshida, from Jichi Medical University in Shimotsuki, Japan. Professor Yoshida also said that “Ethical considerations may also get in the way of using “flying vaccinators” to control malaria. Read more at www.genengnews.com.

Malaria-related deaths decreased in Cunene in 2009

Of the 157,836 Malaria cases recorded in the southern Cunene province of Angola in 2009, only 574 fatalities were reported, health sources told the Angolan News Agency (ANGOP) on Wednesday.

According to the sources, the figure represents a reduction by 90 deaths from the 2008 figures.

The sources attributed the reduction to the preventive measures and treatment programme adopted by the government across the country.

The cases were recorded in Ondjiva general hospital, Ombadja, Kwanhama, Namacunde, Cahama, Cuvelai and Curoca districts during the period under review.

-From Afrique en Ligne, March 19, 2010.

Malaria prevention program luanches in Bengo

As part of the Angola National Malaria Control Program’s effort to scale-up malaria prevention and treatment services, members of the Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA), thePresident’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the Government of Angola, USAID’s implementing partner Research Triangle Institute International (RTI) and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria kicked off a series of training workshops in Bengo yesterday. Participants are being trained in techniques for using a variety of malaria intervention products, such as long-lasting, insecticide-treated malaria nets and indoor residual sprays.

Other partners in the effort include the World Health Organization African Regional Office. Lead corporate sponsorship is by the Chevron Corporation, with additional private sector support from Halliburton, Bayer, Sumitomo Chemical, Cameron International and Vestergaard Frandsen. According to EarthNet:

At present the country is implementing a nation wide program for larval control- including all the cities in the country. This program is integrated with a massive distribution program of insecticide treated nets and localized indoor and outdoor spraying in a selective and sustainable manner, making these valuable actions in the fight against malaria in Angola. With this training, the National Malaria Control Program will create institutional capacity for vector control at the local level and create conditions for Angola to develop a pilot project in Africa for Integrated control of vector borne diseases. (Nilton Saraiva, Angola National Malaria Control Program)

Tanzania launches anti-malaria campaign

Tanzania’s government has introduced a nationwide anti-malaria  awareness campaign titled “Malaria Haikubaliki: Tushirikiane Kuitokomeza” (Malaria is unacceptable: Working together, we can eliminate malaria).  As reported on September 25, 2010 in Tanzania’s This Day newspaper:

The country, arguably one of the leaders in the global fight against malaria, recently introduced an anti malaria campaign – Malaria Haikubaliki –  which involves all sectors of the society including entertainment, business, sport and religion sectors in the battle against malaria across the country.

In spearheading the campaign, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare joined hands with prominent Tanzanian musicians, international partners, senior government officials and  the business sector to stage the Zinduka! (“Wake Up!”) Concert scheduled to take place on February 13, this year at the Leaders’ Club in Dar es Salaam …

The objective of the effort is to increase practices to prevent malaria such as consistently sleeping under an insecticide treated mosquito net, detecting and treating malaria early; and ensuring antenatal care for pregnant women…

The national campaign is anchored at the community and household level by community mobilization activities implemented by Population Services International (PSI) and Johns Hopkins University and district advocacy activities led by Voices II.

At the same time, Tanzania Red Cross is conducting Hang Up and Keep Up campaigns across the country. From the faith community, Malaria Haikubaliki is joined by the Christian Social Services Commission and Bakwata (the National Muslim Council) to engage faith leaders and their congregations in the effort to combat malaria nationwide.

On September 23, 2009, Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete became the head of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) which was launched at the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The alliance is comprised of seventeen African Heads of State working to end malaria-related deaths. Angola is not a member of ALMA.

Africa Cup football teams join to fight malaria

The United Against Malaria Partnership (UAM) has launched a major media campaign to fight malaria during the 27th edition of the African Nations Cup in Angola, which kicked off on January 10. The campaign includes a series of television spots featuring African football stars and United Against Malaria youth ambassador Charles Ssali. The spots are airing during broadcasts of the Cup which runs until  January 31 in the cities of Luanda, Lubango, Cabinda and Benguela.

A spokesman for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, Herve Verhoosel, told media “We will use the power of football to communicate on malaria prevention. When a player speaks on TV or on the radio or in the press, when the player says to the young children, ‘Sleep under a bed net,’ people are listening.”

According to VOANEWS, “Angola’s national football association this week joined similar associations from Ivory Coast, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia and the United States in the anti-malaria group. Other members include the national teams of Mali and Tanzania and European Champions Barcelona of Spain.”

The partnership, which is supported by international donors and corporate sponsors including ExxonMobil and Sumitomo Chemical, will extend the media campaign to the football World Cup which kicks off in June in South Africa.

Livingstone got it right

In 1958, anthropologist Frank Livingstone predicted that malaria originated in chimpanzees. Now scientists are proving him right…

Ague, tertian fever, quartan fever, paludism. Malaria has been known about since ancient times and has gone under many names. Today, it kills over a million people a year, most of them young children. Where it originally came from, though, has been a matter of scientific debate for half a century. In 1958 Frank Livingstone, a noted anthropologist, suggested that Plasmodium falciparum (which is by far the deadliest of the several parasites that cause human malaria) had jumped into Homo sapiens from chimpanzees. He speculated that the rise of agriculture had led to human encroachment on wild forests, giving the chimp version of the bug, P. reichenowi, the chance to find a new host. A rival camp, however, argued that P. falciparum was a variant of P. gallinaceum, a parasite found in chickens. A paper just published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences shows that Livingstone got it right.

Read more in “Human malaria started in chimpanzees” – an article published on August 4, 2009 in The Economist print edition and online at http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14162364