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Tanzanian gov't orders public health facilities to give free malaria tests, drugs

Xinhua, April 25, 2017 Adjust font size:

The government of Tanzania on Tuesday directed all public health centers to give free malaria rapid diagnostic tests and a combination of anti-malarial drugs called ALu as part of a campaign to eliminate the killer disease.

Speaking at an event to mark the World Malaria Day in the political capital Dodoma, the east African country's Minister for Health, Ummy Mwalimu, said the malaria rapid diagnostic tests ALu anti-malaria combination drugs were given free in all public health facilities.

"Although the government has directed that the malaria rapid diagnostic tests and ALu anti-malarial combination drugs are free in public health facilities, yet some staff in these public health entities is selling the service," said Mwalimu.

She added: "Any public medical personnel that will be found charging the malaria rapid diagnostic tests and selling the ALu anti-malarial combination drugs will be taken to task."

Mwalimu directed all regional and district medical officers to ensure that the government directive was observed and appealed to members of the public to report incidences where they were charged for the services in public health facilities.

Mwalimu said 12 million Tanzanians out of the country's population of 50 million suffered from malaria annually.

She said Kagera region was leading with 41 percent of malaria infections followed by Geita and Kigoma regions with 38 percent each.

Malaria prevalence among under one-year children has soared by five percent in the past six years, necessitating further government and all stakeholders' interventions to wipe out the deadly disease.

According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey 2015/16 (TDHS-MIS) released in Dar es Salaam early this year, malaria cases among children under one have increased from 9 to 14 percent between 2010 and 2015/16.

The report shows that malaria cases are higher in rural areas, at 18 percent, than in urban areas' four percent and they decrease with increasing level of household wealth.

It further reveals that while the highest malaria incidences in children in Zanzibar is in Kusini Unguja with 0.3 percent, in mainland Tanzania, Kagera region tops the list with 41 percent, followed by Kigoma and Geita, which have 38 percent, each.

Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Dodoma and Manyara have the lowest level of malaria incidences among children. Endit