Kichawen Chakumai (left), deputy dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Divine Word University, and Dr Gawrie Galappaththy, World Health Organisation consultant from Sri Lanka. Photo: DWU

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Fabian Hakalits, Rachel Atua and Karen Abenisa in  Madang

Malaria is by far the most widespread health problem in Papua New Guinea, with more than 1.6 million cases reported annually and more than 600 deaths directly attributed to the disease, according to Mr Kichawen Chakumai, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Divine Word University, Madang, PNG.

In response to this situation, Papua New Guinea’s National Department of Health is launching a full scale assault on malaria to coincide with World Malaria Day April 25, 2010.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria will support the training of 5000 health care workers in the new methods of properly diagnosing and treating malaria patients, said Mr Chakumai.

The drug Artemether-Lumefantrine.

“The health workers will learn how to use the new Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and how to manage the patients’ dosage of the drug Artemether-Lumefantrine,” he said.

Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) will provide long-lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets to households throughout the country, he added.

“Sleeping under a treated mosquito net every night is the best weapon against malaria,” said Mr Chakumai.

Success in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Dr Gawrie Galappaththy, who is in PNG as a World Health Organisation (WHO) consultant to the PNG malaria eradication project, says that Sri Lanka could be completely free from malaria in a few years time.

“Reported cases have dropped to only a few hundred and we have virtually no deaths because of malaria in Sri Lanka,” she said.

Despite the civil war that went on for some years, Sri Lanka is close to eliminating the disease, she added.

“Malaria is being reduced by spraying with insecticides, using mosquito nets, testing patients accurately, treating patients with the correct medicine and improving the conditions in rural hospitals,” she added.

Dr Galappaththy mentioned that Sri Lanka has already eliminated leprosy and polio, and she is looking forward to the day when her country will be free from malaria.

Zanzibar and Swaziland are African countries that have also had great success in reducing the number of malaria cases, she said.

In 2006 1.4 million LLIN nets were distributed in Rwanda, with support from the Global Fund. Trained community health workers concentrated on changing people’s behaviour in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria, according to www.malariafreefuture.org.

Fabian Hakalits, Rachel Atua and Karen Abenisa are journalism students at the Divine Word University in Papua New Guinea.