Zinduka! Malaria Haikubaliki ("Wake up! Malaria is Unacceptable!")

With the support of Tanzania's president, Jakaya Kikwete, Zinduka! Malaria Haikubaliki was launched with a nationwide concert that featured 18 Tanzanian artists and was broadcast live on radio and television, reaching up to 89% of the country's population. Many of the artists who performed at the launch have become Zinduka! Goodwill Ambassadors and are now spreading the message of malaria protection to their fans across the country. According to the organisers, to date, the campaign and Goodwill Ambassadors have reached tens of thousands of Tanzanians through the Zinduka! Song, created collaboratively between the 18 artists involved, as well as through numerous TV and radio ads. Click here to view a music video of the song.

Throughout 2010, the campaign worked to increase practices to prevent malaria such as consistently sleeping under an insecticide treated mosquito net; detecting and treating malaria early; and ensuring antenatal care for pregnant women. Malaria Haikubaliki hopes to achieve this by providing malaria education and awareness and leveraging community mobilisation activities, public service announcements, television and radio messaging, billboards, community-level cultural and sporting events, and roadshows to ensure that every family in the country hears the message that malaria is unacceptable.

In addition to speaking about malaria protection, testing, and treatment during their performances, Zinduka! Goodwill Ambassadors are also visiting communities and local health centres to speak to patients and medical staff about the disease. For example, during a trip to northwest Tanzania with the Fiesta Concert Series (campaign roadshows), ambassadors and Fiesta Concert crew were able to provide a hospital experiencing a shortage in mosquito nets with donated nets from a Zinduka partner textile mill.

More recently, Zinduka has turned its attention to gospel music, which organisers say is increasingly becoming popular in the country. The Tanzania Gospel Music Awards for 2009/2010 were supported by the Zinduka! Malaria Haikubaliki campaign. Organisers say that they wanted to involve the campaign at the event since religion is another strong platform for educating people about malaria.

Malaria

In Tanzania, malaria kills an estimated 60,000 people every year, with most of its victims being children under five. Despite this, organisers say Tanzania is poised to become one of the first African countries to achieve universal access to mosquito nets and affordable treatment for all of its citizens. In support of this landmark effort, Malaria Haikubaliki is calling on all sectors of society — including entertainment, business, sports and faith-based organisations — to unite against malaria and help eliminate malarial deaths across the country.

The Zinduka! Campaign is modelled after Malaria No More's signature programme, Surround Sound, an innovative initiative that activates all sectors of African society in the fight against malaria. Surround Sound was developed in Senegal and features well-known Senegalese artist and media owner Youssou N’Dour. The Surround Sound model works to increase mosquito net usage and malaria testing and treatment. It also aims to provide local sustainability by engaging leadership and achieving high-profile commitments from country leaders, and by developing the capacity of local partners so that they can maintain and expand programmes in the future.