ROTARY ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAMME TO COMBAT MALARIA IN TANZANIA

Rotary International in Britain and Ireland announced in July 2003 a new programme which aims to eliminate malaria in Tanzania. The programme - Rotarians Eliminating Malaria in Tanzania – will raise funds for equipment, education and research. Malaria is one of the biggest killers in the world today. At least 300 million people contract malaria every year, of whom over one million children will die and approximately 90% of these deaths will be in Africa.

Brian Stoyel President of Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland said ‘During the course of my last nine visits to Tanzania malaria is the ailment most described and of most concern to local health workers. It is vital that we make more people aware of this condition and how with education and nets we can make a difference to those in Tanzania.’

Rotarians Eliminating Malaria in Tanzania aims in the next twelve months to raise funds to provide chemically impregnated nets, insecticides and medicines as well as HaemaCue machines to check for anaemia. Funding will be provided also for education and awareness through the training of local workers who will go into the villages to educate the local people in the way of symptoms, treatments and prevention. The programme is based on getting the local people to take responsibility for the project and then supplying the technical expertise and equipment required. The Rotary Club in Arusha is the local partner and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is happy to advise on the project .

The first training symposium took place at the end of August 2003 in a new village community center at Maji Ya Chai, near Arusha.

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