Why we must all pull together to fight malaria

Many of us know all too well the devastation that can be wrought by a single mosquito. But malaria need not be the number one killer disease it presently is in Kenya.

In fact, it need not be a killer at all, especially with the major advances we have seen in prevention and treatment.

Though we are heading in the right direction in reducing the number of deaths and infections, plenty of ground still needs to be covered to meet the World Health Organisation’s goal of cutting malaria cases and deaths by 90 per cent by 2030.

As we mark World Malaria Day on Monday, it is important to keep in mind the fact that malaria remains a major challenge for the country’s health services.

Last year alone, an estimated 20 per cent of all outpatients in Kenya’s hospitals were suffering from malaria, and about 80 per cent of Kenya’s population is at risk of contracting malaria, especially those living in the coastal, western and north-western belts of the country.

Thousands die of malaria annually. These are not only shocking statistics but a sobering call to action.

TOLL ON ECONOMY

Apart from the trauma of losing a loved one, and the personal economic cost for families forced to forego work and income to care for sick children, the disease takes a significant toll on our national economy too.

Health care provision is stretched to the limit, absenteeism is up, land remains untilled and crops untended, and general economic activity slackens markedly in malaria prone areas.

Plenty of research has gone into tackling this modern-day plague, and I am proud that the organisation I lead is playing its part in searching for new tools to fight this opponent, and helping to scale up access to prevention and treatment.

Since 2003, GSK has committed over Sh695 million to community initiatives fighting malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and has partnered with organisations on the ground to promote use of existing interventions such as bed nets, indoor residual spraying and other preventative methods.

The interventions are paying off. In Kenya for instance, we are working with Save the Children to reduce the number of maternal and new-born deaths from malaria and other common illnesses by increasing use of health services specifically designed for mothers and new-born babies.

This project has seen the partnership recruit and train Community Health Workers who in turn educated women of reproductive age on key healthcare issues during household visits. 

HEALTHCARE ACCESS

As a company, we are also committed to researching and developing new interventions for malaria. It is our firmly held conviction that all patients across the globe should have access to healthcare regardless of their ability to pay.

There is a direct correlation between improved health and economic growth.

Better health increases productivity, reduces days lost to illness and can even decrease medical spending, freeing up capital for investment in other social needs such as education, which will in turn give our children a better future.

Since the beginning of this millennium, progress in preventative measures has led to the saving of more than six million lives globally, which would have been lost from malaria.

This is an impressive leap forward, but more needs to be done if we are to help consign malaria to the history books.

Each time a child dies, so does their potential. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to protect the children of today and the generations of tomorrow.

This is a concerted effort. We cannot do it in isolation. In fact, no one business, government, charity or local community can tackle malaria alone.

Fighting the disease requires partnerships; it requires everyone to unite behind a common goal.

We need to work together to raise awareness and build understanding of the causes of the disease, increase access and advance prevention and treatment strategies.

We need to keep on collaborating, as we have done with Save the Children, Amref Health Africa, the Ministry of Health and others to strengthen healthcare systems and train frontline healthcare workers to reach patients across the country including those in rural communities who often live huge distances from healthcare facilities.

By combining resources, funds, expertise and influence we can work together to fight malaria.

The author is the Managing Director of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharmaceuticals Kenya.