Malaria bado Tishio Tanzania-Waziri

WATANZANIA zaidi ya 800,000 hufa kila mwaka kutokana na ugonjwa wa Malaria. Hayo yalisemwa na Waziri wa Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii, Prof. David Mwakyusa, wakati alipokuwa akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jijini Dar es Salaam.

Amesema katika takwimu rasmi kutoka katika vituo vya afya imebainisha kuwa malaria ni tishio kwa watanzania kutokana na wanaofika katika vituo hivyo wanasumbuliwa na ugonjwa huo.

Amesema katika tafiti nyingine imegundua kuwa asilimia 60 hadi 80 ya vifo hutokea nyumbani kabla ya wagonjwa kufikishwa katika vituo vya afya.

Amesema ugonjwa wa Malaria unaongoza kwa idadi kubwa ya wagonjwa wanaohudhuria katika vituo vyote vya afya na unaongoza kwa idadi kubwa ya wagonjwa katika vituo hivyo.

Prof. Mwakyusa amesema katika vifo hivyo pia idadi kubwa zaidi vinatokana na watoto chini ya umri wa miaka mitano na wakina mama wajawazito.

Hivyo amesema Wizara ina mikakati ya kudhibiti yenye ufanisi mkubwa katika kudhibiti ugonjwa huo endapo itatumika kama ipasavyo.

Amesema mikakati hiyo ikiwemo ya kuangamiza mazalio kwa kusafisha mazingira kote nchini, vilevile na kutumika kwa vyandarua vyenye dawa maalumu ambavyo vinagaiwa katika zahanati kote nchini kwa akina mama wajawazito.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 12:28 PM
Across sub-Saharan Africa malaria kills as many as 3000 young children each day. Most of these deaths are unnecessary, because there are highly effective medicines that can cure malaria infection —artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). Across sub-Saharan Africa malaria kills as many as 3000 young children each day. Most of these deaths are unnecessary, because there are highly effective medicines that can cure malaria infection —artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).
Production of ACTs depends on availability of this plant, Artemisia annua, which contains artemisinin, a natural ingredient crucial to their manufacture. Until recently, the medicines were in short supply, mainly because not enough plants were being cultivated.
Artemisia annua was formerly grown only in China and Viet Nam, but in 2004, WHO, with its partners the United States Agency for International Development, the BetterWorld Together Foundation and the non-governmental organization Technoserve, started a project aimed at helping farmers in the United Republic of Tanzania grow the plant.
East Africa's highlands offer an excellent environment for the cultivation of Artemisia annua.
In the Waarusha village of Engalaoni, United Republic of Tanzania, farmers like Mika Abel Langei are now growing Artemisia annua. Langei, the group leader for the Artemisia cultivation project in the village, was instrumental in convincing his fellow Waarusha neighbours to plant Artemisia in addition to traditional crops such as maize and sweet potatoes.
A large-scale farm and nursery owned by the Dutch seed company Enza Zaden, produces seedlings of Artemesia annua. The plants are grown from seed in field nurseries and sown into rows like maize. After five to six months of growth, the Artemisia plants stand more than 2 metres high and can be harvested. Leaves from the plants are gathered to dry until they are reduced to 13% moisture. Then they are ready for the active ingredient, artemisinin, to be extracted.
Artemisia annua has turned out to be a good cash crop for local farmers — as good as tomatoes, but with less risk. In 2005, 132 metric tonnes of Artemisia leaves were harvested in this area, enough to produce the active ingredient for 1.1 million ACT treatments

Wazungu wametunyima kutumia DDT tunakubali tu, watoto wetu wanateketea