Medoune: A Child Relieved From Malaria

Pierre Faye - Posted on March 1, 2009

Every child in Tattaguine fears malaria. Two weeks ago, Medoune had malaria. Medoune is 7 years old and he is in first grade. Thanks to the health post in the village, equipped by World Vision, Medoune was healed from Malaria, escaping missing days at school.

“Two weeks ago, I had malaria. My mother took me to the health post. Then, Mrs. Faye gave medicines to me and I felt better the day after,” says Medoune, 7.

Medoune is today in very good health. He sits next to his mom taking the shells off of the groundnuts. His mom was so thankful for the new heath post operating in the village, delivering to the population medical services they would not otherwise have been able to receive.

“We have forgotten about the worrisome situation when we had to take our kids to a nearby city in horse carts or to walk barefoot seven miles away,” his mother , Fatou says.

Mosquito Nets: An Effective Barrier to Malaria There is no compound (group of houses) where you enter without seeing malaria nets hung over the beds. World Vision has been very active to leverage the use of mosquito nets among the families of Tattaguine. It was included in the package of services offered at a very subsidized level that went to all the children, with no regard to whether they are sponsored or not.

Nets relieve families against malaria. The repellents are not affordable for most the families whose revenues are very low. Cleaning campaigns have also been done. But, the mosquitoes are still spreading through the village at the peak period, during the rainy season, when the ponds are everywhere. These are the places where the mosquitoes lay eggs, expanding rapidly in number.

World Vision Wars in the Fight Against Malaria

The joint efforts of World Vision and the Roll Back Malaria program, supported by the local government have boosted the awareness of the population to use mosquito nets. Consequently, the impact of malaria has tremendously decreased. Combined with active communication, the promotion of mosquito nets has saved the lives of many children in Tattaguine.

Thanks also to a nearby health post, well-equipped with sufficient medicines by World Vision, Medoune and hundreds children in the village, no longer have to fear malaria as in the past. Their parents have the normal reaction to go quickly to see Mrs. Faye, the nurse living nearby.

“When Medoune said to me that he has a fever, I immediately took [him] to the nurse, Mrs. Faye. He was well treated and we got all the medicines he needs,” his mother testifies.

Without the support of the World Vision, which provided subsidized mosquito nets at $2 per unit, it will difficult for most the farmers to be able to provide this security for their families. Unsubsidized mosquito nets cost between $20 and $40, depending on the size of the net.

Abdoulaye Ba, the supervisor responsible for the follow-up of the children, has confirmed that because of the health post and the sanitization education efforts by World Vision, when a child is sick he or she is rapidly taken to the health post for treatment.

“They don’t wait till the situation of the sick child worsens, because taking him to the heath post [is a long] distance. Now, a heath post is there in the village very close to everyone. I am happy that his mom [was] very quick to react,” Abdoulaye Ba, Medoune’s sponsorship supervisor says.

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