World Malaria Day commemoration Chililabombwe District, Copperbelt Province Tuesday, 25 April, 2023 Speeches by

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REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH

SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, HON. SYLVIA TEMBO – MASEBO, MP

(NOTE: World Malaria Day , Health Ministers Speech,read on her behalf by Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo)

DURING THE OCCASION OF THE

LAUNCH OF THE WORLD MALARIA DAY COMMEMORATION

IN

CHILILABOMBWE DISTRICT, COPPERBELT PROVINCE

• TUESDAY, 25 APRIL, 2023

• Chairperson of the Lamba-Lima Royal Council of Chiefs – His Royal Highness, Chief Nkambo
• The Permanent Secretary, Copperbelt Province – Mr. Augustine Kasongo
• The WHO Country Representative – Dr. Nathan Bakyaita
• The USG Representative – Dr. Jennifer Somitore
• The Representative of the Provincial Joint Commission
• End Malaria Council, Coordinator – Dr. Elizabeth Chizema
• Provincial leadership of the ruling Party and Other Parties Represented
• Provincial Health Director – Copperbelt Province, Dr. Charles Mwinuna
• District Commissioner, Chililabombwe District – Ms. Precious Njekwa
• The Chief Executive Officer for KCM – Mr. Timmy Duffy
• The Representative from Lubambe Copper Mines Ltd –
• The Mayor for Chililabombwe – Mr. Lucky Sichone
• Acting Director, National Malaria Elimination Centre – Dr. Busiku Hamainza
• Other Provincial Heads of Department Present
• Members of the Media, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good Morning!

Today, Zambia joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World Malaria Day observed on the 25th of April every year. This year’s event is being commemorated under the global theme “Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement.” The Roll-Back Malaria Partnership to End Malaria, has guided that the theme for 2023 highlights the need for urgent action and additional investment to ensure efforts made to-date deliver maximum impact in the fight against malaria.

During this year’s World Malaria Day, the global malaria community will come together to:
1. Invest by calling on global leaders to deliver on commitments and ensure existing investments deliver impact and extend the reach;

2. Innovate by celebrating the research community’s innovation and call for further investment to deliver transformative and improved tools;

3. Implement by supporting countries and communities to adopt innovative techniques and deliver tools and treatments to those most in need.

World Malaria Day is a global event meant to highlight all the achievements attained and an opportunity to keep malaria high on the national and global health agenda. Today’s event is also meant to celebrate the gains recorded by countries in eliminating malaria. This includes using evidence to make decisions on effective interventions, embracing new tools and adopting innovations to implement data-driven interventions in order to achieve our malaria elimination goals.

Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
The New Dawn Government of the Republic of Zambia under the leadership of His Excellency, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, the President of the Republic of Zambia, is committed to providing quality health services through evidenced-based interventions close to where the Zambian people live, work, and go to school.

Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Over the years, Zambia has made steady progress to end malaria and has achieved significant strides in saving the lives of our people. Two out of the ten provinces, namely Southern and Lusaka have consistently continued to maintain low burden status due to a number of innovations and investments made over the years.

At national level we saw a reduction in the malaria incidence rates from 340 per 1000 in 2021 to 323 per 1000 at the end of 2022, and a reduction in deaths attributed to malaria from 8 deaths per 100,000 in 2021 to 7 deaths per 100,000 in 2022.
However, some parts of our country recorded an increase in malaria cases, such as the Copperbelt Province. Overall the number of cases increased by about 10% between 2021 and 2022, on the other hand the number of deaths reduced by 9.1% in the same mentioned period. It must be stated here that the country has trained about 20,500 Community Health Workers (CHWs) that are spread out in the hard to reach areas, which has made it possible to diagnose and promptly treat more malaria cases in the first 24hrs of onset of symptoms.
The importance of replicating and extending some of the best practices undertaken in the provinces where there has been a reduction in malaria transmission cannot be overemphasized.

Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Malaria has continued to be among the top 10 diseases responsible for hospital visitations and admissions in our health facilities. In the recent past and in line with the theme for World Malaria Day, we have witnessed increased investment in the implementation of key malaria interventions. Unfortunately, the number of malaria cases still remain high and a cause for great concern.

The Government of Republic of Zambia under the leadership of His Excellency, the President Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, is committed to the provision of quality health services and implementation of evidenced-based malaria interventions as close to the family as possible.

Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It is therefore befitting that we are commemorating this important event here in Chililabombwe district given the district’s unique drivers of malaria transmission which include developmental activities, high human traffic and other environmental factors contributing to increased malaria cases. We are here to also recognize your collective efforts and investments over the years and appreciate the support that has been provided to members of the community here.

Copperbelt Province was carefully selected to host this year’s event mainly because we want to raise the profile of malaria as a disease of public health importance, improve visibility of the Ministry’s efforts and accelerate implementation of our key malaria interventions. As you know, Chiliabombwe district is an important economic hub here on the Copperbelt, given the various mining and cross border trading activities, exposing the district to a number of factors that can result in the proliferation of mosquito breeding and transmission of this preventable, yet deadly disease.

Your Royal Highness, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is important to note that in Zambia the malaria transmission levels vary across provinces, districts and indeed health facility catchment areas. We have some regions with higher malaria prevalence, whereas others such as Lusaka and Southern provinces with much lower malaria prevalence.
These variations in malaria prevalence rates across the country need to be critically looked into to ensure that local solutions are applied and data-driven interventions implemented to attain malaria elimination. We need to be innovative and smart as we implement to achieve the desired impact.

Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
The Ministry of Health has a National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026 which emphasizes our vision of a “Malaria Free Zambia”. The goals in this strategy aims to:
(a) Lower the burden in high-transmission settings;
(b) Eliminate local malaria infection in low transmission zones;
(c) Maintain a malaria-free status and prevent re-introduction and importation of malaria in areas declared malaria free.

This strategic plan further outlines the need to achieve universal coverage with at least one of vector control interventions which include:
1. Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets;
2. Indoor Residue Spraying;
3. Larval Source Management;
4. Case management focusing on prompt testing and treatment of malaria cases

Other key interventions include:
1. Health promotion to increase uptake and correct use of the various malaria interventions
2. Surveillance to track progress towards our targets and
3. Research to guide program implementation

Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
The Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Elimination Centre supported by partners will be distributing over 11 million Long – Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets countrywide protecting over 19 million people against malaria. We also intend to spray a total number of 900,000 eligible and targeted structures, protecting over 3.9 million people.

In order to strengthen community systems, Government will continue to train and empower Community Health Workers and other community-based volunteers as a deliberate measure to improve access to health care at community and health facility levels. This is an important step to take services as close to the family as possible.

Let me take this opportunity to challenge the youths to get more involved in the fight against malaria. Youths have many opportunities to champion the fight against malaria in our communities. This may be through advocacy; sharing of information; encouraging acceptance and correct use of key malaria interventions.
In the same vain, I am delighted to announce two new implementing partners in Malaria control.
(a) SEMA ReACT: The partner will scale up the use of a rectal anti-malarial drug to treat children with severe malaria. This treatment will be given with ease at Health Centres before the children are referred to the next level of care.

The second project to be launched tomorrow is called Rotaractors in Action Against Malaria (RotarACTION). With support from Malaria Partners Zambia, the Rotaract Club of Lusaka recently acquired a grant to conduct malaria data improvement activities in Luano district of Central Province. This group of vibrant youths is also making use of social media to raise awareness about malaria through its “Malaria Monday” Facebook posts.

The RotarACTION grant amounting to $16,000 adds to Rotary’s longstanding support to our malaria elimination efforts.

It is gratifying to note that the partnership base has continued to expand in Zambia. With investment, we are confident that in line with this year’s theme, implementers at all levels will invest, innovate and implement.

Your Royal Highness, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
As always, I will be failing in my duties if do not mention the unique role of our community members in malaria elimination. It is important that you take the following individual actions in order to stop the transmission of malaria at the local level:
1. Pregnant women should take malaria preventive medicine given during Antenatal Care (ANC) to protect themselves and their unborn babies from malaria.
2. Everyone should sleep under a treated mosquito net every night, every season, all year round.
3. During the spraying campaign, we should allow the trained personnel to spray our houses. The chemical applied on the walls kill mosquitoes and reduce the transmission of malaria.
4. Seek malaria testing and treatment services from the nearest health facility. Trained community health workers within your locality are available to link you to treatment services.

Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to thank all our partners for the continued support. In particular, I wish to sincerely thank the
1. Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria
2. United States President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and in-country PMI supported projects
3. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation PATH/ MACEPA project
4. World Health Organization and other UN Agencies
5. SADC Elimination 8 Secretariat
6. Isdell-Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative
7. Mopani Copper Mines,
8. Konkola Copper Mines
9. Lubambe Copper Mines
10. First Quartum Minerals
11. Lumwana Mines
12. End Malaria Council (EMC)
13. Faith Leaders Advocacy for Malaria Elimination (FLAME)
14. Service organizations such the Rotary Club, World Vision, Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia Project
15. Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), and
16. The private sector

I also wish to thank the traditional leaders for your strategic role and commitment towards the malaria elimination agenda, through your continued leadership and guidance.

Remember malaria ends with me, malaria ends with you, together, we can end malaria.

It is now my honour and privilege to declare the 2023 World Malaria Day officially launched.

May God Bless You!

WORLD MALARIA DAY
WHO Country Representative Zambia – Dr Nathan Bakyaita
Chililabombwe District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia
25 April 2023

• HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HEALTH: MS SYLVIA MASEBO, MP

• PROVINCIAL PERMANENT SECRETARY MR. AUGUSTINE KASONGO

• REPRESENTATIVES FROM USAID, US PRESIDENT’S MALARIA INITIATIVE (PMI)

• OTHER COOPERATING PARTNERS – PRESENT

• MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY

• MEMBERS OF THE PRESS

• LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

Good morning
It is an honor for me to be here today to commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day, under the theme, “Time to deliver zero malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement.”

Ladies and gentlemen,
Malaria is a global threat that disproportionately affects the most marginalized populations in society. In 2021 alone, malaria killed an estimated 619,000 people worldwide, and caused 247 million new cases. Nearly 80% of malaria deaths in the African Region were among children under the age of five.
The African Region also had the heaviest disease burden with an estimated 95% (243millio) of all diseases being malaria cases and 96% (593,000) of all deaths being due to malaria – These numbers of cases and deaths are concerning since malaria is preventable and curable when detected and treated early.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Despite remarkable efforts to scale up malaria control over the last two decades, many people still miss out on preventive, diagnostic and treatment. Others cannot access essential health services; significant inequities are affecting the most vulnerable; and between 1.4–1.9 billion people face impoverished health spending – we need urgent and concerted actions to set the world back on a trajectory towards achieving malaria targets and the Sustainable Development Goals target of ending malaria by 2030.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We continue to face many challenges in expanding access to malaria services – our limited funding for malaria programmes, weak surveillance systems, limited human resources, decline in core malaria tools and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Other threats to the malaria response in the African continent include growing parasite resistance to antimalarial medicines and an invasive mosquito, that adapts easily to urban environments.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, we have a lot to do to get back on track to ending malaria but, this year’s theme” gives us an opportunity to reflect and plan around the three “I’s” – invest, innovate, implement.
1. Invest – With the changing economic environment, the funding space for the malaria response has become limited. Funding gap has widened, particularly over the past 3 years – increasing from a shortfall of US$ 2.6 billion in 2019 to US$ 3.8 billion in 2021.
In this resource-constrained environment, we need to better target the available funding and prioritize it’s use for the most vulnerable populations who are hardest hit when they become ill.
2. Innovate – As WHO we are encouraging countries to support research and development (R&D) to improve malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Today, no single malaria intervention that is available will completely solve the problem of malaria.
So, to increase the pace of progress against malaria, we need to step up innovations in new vector control, diagnostics, antimalarial medicines, and other tools
3. Implement – WHO calls for malaria programmes to implement WHO recommended key preventive, diagnosis, and treatment interventions to leave no one behind, particularly those most vulnerable. Many people at high risk of malaria still miss uninterrupted supplies of life-saving medicines, and diagnostics.
Reaching these populations with malaria services is a critical strategy for achieving global malaria targets and delivering on the promise of “zero malaria.”
Ladies and gentlemen,
As I conclude, let me call WHO call for the:
• Availability of the WHO-recommended interventions, tools, and strategies to be made accessible to all at risk of malaria – and particularly those most vulnerable.
• Tailoring of our interventions to local disease settings, using local data, for maximum impact.
I would like to, therefore, reiterate WHO’s continued support towards reaching the two critical targets for malaria contained in the Global technical strategy (2016-2030), namely: (1) reducing global malaria case incidence by 90% or more by 2030; and (2) reducing the global malaria mortality rate by 90% or more by 2030.
Together we can end malaria.

God bless you and God bless our beloved Zambia!

April 25, 2023
Remarks as prepared for USAID Deputy Mission Director Robin Sharma at the World
Malaria Day Commemoration Event
Chililabombwe District
April 25, 2023
The U.S. Government is proud to join the Government of the Republic of Zambia in this World
Malaria Day commemoration under this year’s theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement”. This annual event is an opportunity to reflect on malaria in Zambia and the impact of the U.S.-Zambia partnership as we work together to provide robust services in an effort to reduce malaria infection and death. Together we have saved lives and supported thriving communities. Reducing the economic burden of malaria has paid dividends in terms of progress towards Zambia’s development agenda and goal to transform Zambia into a prosperous middle income country by 2030.
In line with the theme to invest, innovate, and implement, I want to commend Zambia’s five-year National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan, which targets life-saving interventions according to the malaria burden in a geographic area. This is called Sub-National Tailoring. It is a blueprint for smarter spending. Innovations like this are an example of democracy delivering for the people of Zambia.
Today is also a day to recognize the growing contributions the private sector is bringing to the fight against malaria through the End Malaria Council and other efforts. USAID recently disseminated an inventory of private sector contributions in malaria control nationwide to inform more robust public-private cooperation in the elimination of malaria.
The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, PMI, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, provides vital financial and technical assistance that enables the Zambian government to deploy lifesaving interventions proven to fight malaria. Health systems are stronger. More than 62,6000 health facility staff and community health workers have been trained since 2008. PMI investments support and build on those made by the Zambian government, in coordination with the National Malaria Elimination Program, other donors, and technical organizations.
Since PMI support began in Zambia in 2008, we have invested more than six and a half billion Kwacha (almost $400 million) to support and build on investments made by the Zambian government, in coordination with other stakeholders. In that time, PMI has delivered 16.7 million mosquito nets, almost 80 million rapid diagnostic tests, 59 million fast-acting malaria medicines, over 10 million preventive treatments during pregnancy, and we sprayed insecticide in 11 million homes. The result of these investments has been a 92% increase in the number of children under age five who sleep under nets and a 49% decrease in child deaths from all causes.
Today we reaffirm that partnership and our commitment to investing in malaria prevention and treatment tools, along with the training and equipping of health workers, in order to advance Zambia’s progress towards “zero malaria” while strengthening the country’s health system.
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For a soft copy, open the QR code below or WhatsApp Robin Johnson at USAID at 0969341020