An Anopheles mosquito is a lying factory for the parasite that causes malaria in humans. By hosting and spreading these parasites, malaria in Zambia accounts for nearly four million clinically diagnosed cases per year, 8000 death and accounts for 20 per cent of maternal death, according to the Zambia National Malaria Elimination Centre.
The Elimination 8 Malaria Project engaged Community Health Workers (CHWs), who monitored households to see if long-lasting insecticide Nets were being utilized consistently and encouraged people to get tested for malaria. They reached out to Migrant and Mobile Populations and populations living at border areas, testing and treating people. Those with complicated cases were referred to a health facility.
The success of the E8 Project in the border areas of Livingstone and Sesheke Districts has been due to the strong collaboration with the Ministry of Health, DAPP mobilising people in the communities and DAPP's surveillance teams ending mosquito breeding sites. The Government of Zambia has made significant investments into the more effective Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapies, greater access to quality Rapid Diagnostic Tests, Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and provision of Long-Lasting Insecticidal nets.