Effective Communication Is Vital For the Elimination of Malaria

This article emphasises the need for effective communication on malaria prevention and treatment as part of the Global Malaria Action Plan, GMAP, an approach to combating malaria with the goal of eventually eliminating the disease. The focus of the article is an orientation session for journalists, organised by the Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria (CCAM), in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in December 2008.

According to the article, studies have indicated that many people do not have information about the disease. To redress the situation, CCAM brought journalists together with manager of CCAM, Dr. Esther Talla, and the Drive Against Malaria members, David Robertson and Julia Samuel. Robertson and Samuel explained that many people are not informed about the disease, making it difficult for it to be stamped out, and expressed regret that, although malaria is the highest killer in Cameroon, the prices of malaria medicines are relatively high, making it difficult for the economically poor to purchase these drugs for treatment. They presented the need for use of the long-lasting mosquito net, the use of which started in 2005, outside Cameroon. However, they found that people are not aware of its use. According to the article, these presenters contributed to the power of their message by the example of their work, which is bringing attention to malaria as a preventable and treatable disease and raising money to fight malaria in Africa. Robertson began driving across Europe in 1998 as a one-man mission and now, with Julia Samuel, drives to remote villages to distribute mosquito nets and information to fight malaria.

CCAM's Dr. Talla said that the provision of long lasting mosquito nets is now starting in Cameroon. She highlighted both information on the causes of malaria and on the GMAP control programme, which involves prevention and treatment - for prevention, long-lasting insecticidal nets, indoor residual spraying, and preventive therapy during pregnancy; and for treatment, prompt diagnosis, the prescription of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT), and chloroquine and primaquine therapy.


Participating journalists particularly expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Drive Against Malaria members because of the fact that they are overcoming notably negative circumstances to play a role in the fight against malaria. They are, as stated in the article, driving across the continent in harsh conditions, despite their own illness and disability, to distribute mosquito nets and give information about malaria.