Senegal – Music to Fight Malaria

27 April 2011

analysis

Music may seem an unlikely way to fight malaria. But Senegal’s highly successful program has relied not only on medical expertise but also on the star power of Youssou N’Dour and a national song competition called “Xeex Sibbiru” (Let’s Beat Malaria). Support from prominent figures in the society, including religious leaders as well as music stars, has helped to dramatically increase prevention and treatment coverage.

Among the results:

More than 80% of households with at least one insecticide-treated mosquito net.

The rate of preventive treatment for pregnant women increased from 13% in 2005 to 52% in 2008/2009.

The under-five mortality rate was reduced by 30% between 2005 and 2008/2009.

This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains excerpts from the 56-page Roll Back Malaria report on Senegal, prepared in conjunction with Senegal’s National Malaria Control Program and released in November 2010. The full report, with detailed documentation, photographs, tables, and graphs, is available on http://www.rollbackmalaria.org / direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/3rcqhot

For Djibril Diop’s winning performance from the Xeex Sibbiru Song Contest in Dakar, Senegal, June 9, 2010, and other related vidos, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ylO0bJWsLo

For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on health issues, visit http://www.africafocus.org/healthexp.php

For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Senegal, as well as additional background links, visit http://www.africafocus.org/country/senegal.php

–end editor’s note

Focus on Senegal

Roll Back Malaria Progress & Impact Series, Number 4

November 2010

Ministède la Santé et de la Prevention Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme

[Excerpts only. The full report is available on http://www.rollbackmalaria.org / direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/3rcqhot]

The data provided in this report were gathered during the months of June, July and august 2010. …

This report was co-authored by Eric Mouzin (RBM Partnership Secretariat, Geneva), Pape Moussa Thior and Mame Birame Diouf (Senegal National Malaria Control Programme, Dakar) and Bakary Sambou (World Health Organization [WHO], Dakar).

Executive Summary

Progress and impact of malaria control in Senegal at a glance

* Since 2005, Senegal has built an effective malaria control programme based on strong management and well-defined plans.

* Implementation of best practices and strategic planning have attracted external partners and financial resources. as a result, more than us$ 130 million was mobilized between 2005 and 2010 to scale up the fight against malaria to the national level.

* These funds were used to deploy various malaria prevention and treatment interventions, with the following results:

– nearly 6 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets will have been distributed by the end of 2010.

– More than 300 000 household rooms have been sprayed with insecticide.

– all of the country’s 14 regions have received free intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, rapid diagnostic tests, and artemisinin-based combination therapies.

– 1 million rapid diagnostic tests and 1.5 million artemisinin-based combination treatments have been distributed.

– 17 000 health workers have been trained to use these tests and dispense these treatments. -support for community associations was extended to all of the country’s 69 districts.

* Thanks to active planning, the methodical deployment of interventions has resulted in good coverage rates at the national level:

– In 2010, 82% of households own at least one insecticidetreated mosquito net, representing a 36% increase in less than two years.

– 45% of children and 49% of pregnant women in the general population (regardless of mosquito net ownership) had used an insecticide- treated mosquito net the night before the postcampaign survey in early 2010. These rates went up 40% in one year.

– 52% of pregnant women received at least two doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine during antenatal medical consultations in 2008/20091, compared with 13% in 2005.

– 86% of patients presenting with a potentially malarial fever were screened with a rapid diagnostic test in 2009.

* The high rate of coverage, for its part, provided a way to make an impact on health, to reduce the prevalence of the illness, and to save lives.

In particular:

– under-five mortality was reduced by 30% between 2005 and 2008/2009.

– Moderate anaemia (between 7 and 10 g/dl) in children under five dropped from 55% to 48.5% between 2005 and 2008/2009.

– The number of confirmed cases of malaria decreased by 41% in one year.

– The lives of 26,800 children under five have been saved since 2001, according to the lives saved Tool (LIST estimation model).

* These health interventions and achievements have reached the most economically disadvantaged rural communities and have helped to improve both the health system and maternal and child health programmes.

* Now that these control and prevention measures have proven to be effective, we must maintain the human and financial resources to keep rolling back malaria. complacency will result in a rapid resurgence of this terrible disease.

* The next phase will require considerable effort, which will produce less spectacular results. If managed well, however, this phase may be the forerunner of an era in which malaria prevalence becomes negligible and its elimination within reach.

Box 1: The extent of malaria in Senegal

Malaria in Senegal at a glance

Senegal has 12.5 million inhabitants.

Malaria is endemic and transmission is stable, with a seasonal peak from July to December.

Epidemiological variations are Sahelian and hypo-endemic in the north, Guineo-Sudanese and hyper-endemic in the south.

In 2005 there were about 2 million suspected cases of malaria and 2,000 deaths attributable to malaria.

Malaria is responsible for more than 20% of deaths among children under five.

The population of Senegal is approximately 12.5 million. The country is divided into 14 regions and 46 departments. The health system follows these administrative divisions, with a medical officer responsible for each region; some of the 69 health districts cover an entire department, while others cover only a part thereof. each health district is placed under the authority of a chief medical officer. The health pyramid rests upon 913 health posts (placed under the responsibility of a head nurse) and 1383 health huts (managed by community health workers who report to the head nurse).

Malaria in Senegal is defined as endemic/stable with seasonal peaks. The rainy season lasts from July to October. as a result, malaria peaks between July and December.

Malaria has been a longstanding public health problem for the people of Senegal:

In 2005, approximately 2 million cases of malaria (confirmed or not) were recorded at the national level, as were more than 2000 deaths attributable to the disease (NMCP, 2006).

Malaria is responsible for 32% of outpatient consultations and more than 20% of deaths in children under five.

The human and economic impact of the disease is a serious curb to economic development, either directly — through the costs of health care and hospitalization — or indirectly, through work days lost to personal illness or to caring for a sick child.

Box 2: Youssou N’Dour: On the front lines of the fight against malaria in Senegal

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