New results for national malaria indicators were released yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics. These are preliminary results from the Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey 2011-12. Overall, the results show encouraging progress—particularly with regard to malaria prevalence and the use of insecticide-treated nets.
Malaria
9.5 per cent of children aged 6-59 months tested positive for malaria. This is nearly half the prevalence found in 2007/8 (17.7 per cent).
Anemia
5.6 per cent of children 6-59 months were found to be severely anemic (blood hemoglobin lower than 8 g/dl). This compares to 7.7 per cent in 2007/8 and 5.1 per cent in 2010.
Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN)
Around 70 per cent of the whole population slept under an ITN the night before the survey (72 per cent of children under age of five; 75 per cent of pregnant women; 69 per cent of the whole population). The proportion of households that own at least one ITN has risen from 64 per cent (children) and 57 per cent (pregnant women) in 2010. In 2007/8, use of ITNs was only 26 per cent and 25 per cent for children and pregnant women respectively.
Treatment
One quarter of children who suffered fever in the past two weeks were tested for malaria, and 21 per cent were treated the same day or next day with ALu (ACT). IN 2007/8 only 14 per cent of children with fever received prompt treatment with ALu.
IPTp
The proportion of women who took at least two doses of SP to prevent malaria during their last pregnancy was 32 per cent, similar to the result in 2007/8 (30 per cent).
Conclusion
Tanzania has made very rapid progress in the use of ITNs, reflecting the success of the distribution campaigns for under-fives and all households in 2009-10. This is probably the main reason that malaria prevalence has halved compared to 2007/8. Although anemia prevalence in children has not changed much compared to 2010, it represents half the rate found in 2004/5. Indicators of prompt and effective treatment of malaria illness are less encouraging. Three quarters of children with fever are not tested for malaria, and only one in five were treated with ALu within 24 hours of fever onset. Protection against malaria in pregnancy has improved due to the increased use of ITNs by pregnant women. However, the proportion receiving IPTp has barely changed compared to the last survey.
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