Biting back: new hope in the fight against malaria

Over 2,000 community health workers are distributing rapid diagnostic tests to pregnant women to help diagnose and treat malaria. The health workers also refer patients to further treatment as needed. In 2022 alone, they treated over 130,000 people.

The state Ministry of Health in partnership with other local organizations is providing educational, medical outreach for pregnant women to discuss malaria, maternal mortality and the importance of having regular medical checkups, while providing necessary resources to increase their access to care.

Since 2017, the Defeat TB (tuberculosis) program supported by USAID introduced a patient contact tracing program in Uganda wherein health workers and facilitators have been trained to trace a patient with multidrug-resistant TB back to their community to screen family members, conduct tests, and refer them for Xrays or treatment if needed. Introduced in the Mulago referral hospital, the program has since expanded to 16 other centers. Along with counseling, follow-ups, and provision of food assistance, it has helped increase the TB detection and treatment rate over the years.

Hacey Health Initiative and Alabiyamo Maternal and Child Healthcare Foundation are improving maternal and newborn health in rural communities. The groups have provided more than 50,000 birthing kits containing sterilized tools and other essentials and handed out over 100,000 long-lasting treated nets to prevent malaria. Women and infants can get medications and important vaccinations, along with clothes and baby food. The care is free and the groups work with community gatekeepers, like leaders in local markets, midwives, and other traditional birthing assistants, whose buy in is important to build trust.

In Kenya's Siaya County, community-selected individuals known as nyamrerwa are trained "to address healthcare issues of individuals and communities in their respective localities." The initiative is part of a larger strategy that is helping to localize care and empower community members to "take control and responsibility of their own health achievement efforts."

In early January, doctors at UW Medical Center began preparing for a coronavirus outbreak by transforming a research lab into a screening center for coronavirus that delivers results within a day. Now, coupled with a mobile clinic that allows for people to be tested from within the confines of their cars, the city has been able to test a large volume of people more safely than if they were being tested from within a hospital.

Vermont has opened its first donor milk center which acts as a breast milk bank for mothers that are in need of milk for their newborn babies. The Vermont Donor Milk Center aims to be a "one-stop shop," and also offers lactation consultation, maternal education, and supports for non-lactating partners.

To reduce maternal mortality in the Masai region of Tanzania, Catholic nuns with Sisters of Notre Dame are building hospitals and educating local women about the importance of giving birth in a medical setting. Although this goes against the community's use of a "traditional birth attendant," delivering in a hospital allows for emergency situations to be better addressed and is receiving positive feedback from women in the region.

Cold storage supply chains improve the reliability of vaccine delivery. In Nigeria’s Kano State, the establishment of zonal cold stores has increased immunization coverage. Local nodes equipped with solar powered refrigeration provide storage for vaccines, which are then delivered to supply smaller health centers in the area. The initiative came from a partnership between the Nigerian state and nonprofits, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

China has faced a multitude of issues when it comes to providing sufficient health care, but thanks governmental funding and an increased focus on maternal and child health, the country has seen a positive impact. Although not without room to improve in other sectors, so far, China has noted a significant decline in infectious diseases and an increase in those carrying health insurance.