Malaria still a deadly concern in Zambia

Malaria isn’t something I knew much about before I came here. I knew that it was spread through mosquitoes, but I never knew anyone that had actually been infected or even an area that was highly prone to malaria cases.

That’s because it just isn’t common in the United States anymore, but then I come here to Zambia, where it’s everywhere, and it’s everywhere all of the time.

Statistically malaria -- not HIV/AID, car accidents, or even malnutrition – is the No. 1 killer in all of Africa and the greatest public health issue in Zambia.

Malaria (specifically the strand plasmodium falciparum – which is the most severe strand of malaria) is delivered by a single cell parasite. This parasite is transferred here in Zambia through the Anopheles mosquito, of which only the female spreads the malaria-causing parasite.

It’s estimated that more than 90 percent of the nation’s 13 million citizens are at risk for malaria exposure. Most commonly those at risk are children between the ages of 1 and 5, and sadly that is also the demographic killed by malaria most often. At this age the children don’t have the physical strength or immune system to fight the disease and, because of that, many thousands die every year.

Small rural clinics like this are where most villagers go for medical treatment, especially when seeking treatment for malaria.

However, with all that is known about malaria at the rural level, there is still a large amount that isn’t known and even more misconceptions that are taken as truths.

For instance, it is believed that there is a direct correlation between malaria and the number of mangoes that a person consumes – the more eaten, the greater chance of contracting the disease. This, of course, is incorrect; mosquitoes transmit malaria, not mangoes.

There are ways to combat malaria and its effects in the village. Maybe the single most effective means is using an insecticide-treated mosquito bed net every night. Sleeping beneath one of these nets not only keeps the mosquitoes away and unable to make that annoying buzzing noise, but it also stops them from biting and passing the malaria virus.

Coupled with the knowledge of when mosquitoes are most active (between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.) can greatly increase people’s ability to remain healthy.

Sleeping under a malaria net is the best way to avoid infected mosquitoes and the malaria they cause.

Recently, there have been more strides made in the effort to put an end to the devastation of malaria in this part of the world and a quick Google search for malaria campaign turns up numerous results from the Buzz and Bite Campaign to the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, and many in between.

The Peace Corps’ own project is called Stomp Out Malaria (www.stompoutmalaria.org). It’s a program designed to increase efforts of Peace Corps Volunteers throughout Africa to aid in malaria prevention methods by training all volunteers regarding malaria, providing volunteers with more educational materials and pushing for people to become active to stop this deadly disease.

Zamkids

William Golding’s 1954 novel “Lord of the Flies” was one of those books that I enjoyed reading in both high school and college, even though I was forced to do so.

But both times reading the book I considered it to be exactly what it was – an allegorical novel about a group of unsupervised children running amok in a foreign land.

Well, it turns out that it isn’t so fictitious after all. My village’s children could easily fit right in the plot of that story and replace any one, if not all, of the characters -- Piggy, Roger, Ralph, Jack or Simon -- without any difficulty.

Priscilla, my village headman's daughter, looking awfully fly in the sunglasses I gave her.

Although no pigs have been harmed in my village and not one child has or wears a pair of glasses, the children roam just the same throughout the village as though there are no rules, norms, or guidelines to abide by and obey.

Historically, elephants caused a lot of destruction and headaches to the locals here. And although I’ve never seen an elephant in my area (due to poaching), I have a hard time imagining that they can be more destructive than a pack of roving children, because when they’re nearby nothing is safe: no fence, tree, or even 1,000-year old rock can withstand their force.

These children lit this fire, then danced around the flame singing, laughing, and enjoying the night.

I usually say that my mornings start with the sun rising, but that’s not true. The day starts when I hear the first child screaming, crying or laughing.

And mostly they do a whole lot of laughing. They also do a lot of playing, jumping, climbing of trees and being children in general.

Kids here play outside nearly all of the time – the only time they don’t is when the rain is so heavy that the ground is flooded. But as soon as it stops, they’re back at it, mud and all.

Unlike Lord of the Flies, the children here aren’t going to be saved by a British Naval officer and taken away. Most of them will stay in this area for their entire lives, without seeing the rest of Zambia, or the world for that matter.

Toys can be made out of nearly anything.  Here a water can's side was removed, a rope attached, and an older brother recruited to pull his sister around the village.

There just aren’t a lot of opportunities (educational, economic or family-related) to get out. It’s really sad too, because I believe the country could benefit from them. After all, the rural community makes up a large percentage of this country’s population and right now there isn’t a lot of utilization of this demographic.

This lack of opportunity to get out and even see somewhere else is where my being here as a Peace Corps Volunteer is handy. Just through interacting with me they can get to understand the “outside” world a little bit better, a little bit more clearly.

The kids love their photo to be taken.  These 6 are some of my favorite in the village.

Often I hold impromptu geography and culture lessons so that long after I’m gone the kids here will have some understanding of the United States, even if they never get the chance to set foot on its soil.

These lessons are helped by the use of teaching aids like Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Time and even the occasional People magazines. After all, pictures are far more interesting to mull than what I have to say in English or through broken sentences in the local language, Kaonde.

Nearly anything and everything can be climbed and played upon as seen here.

While there aren’t any kids names Jack, Simon, or Piggy here, I do have a Lukatazho, Nita, Kasongo, Sylvia, Kesia, Jonah and about 35 others to contend with, to entertain me, to teach.

And also to learn from for the rest of my Peace Corps service.

Note: This was first printed in the Battle Creek Enquirer in March 2013.