Sana'a - Saba:
The National Malaria and Mosquito-borne Diseases Control Program plays a pivotal role in combating malaria, dengue and other diseases, and limiting the spread of the epidemics caused by them through the implementation of many control activities and strategic training and awareness programs as a goal in line with national trends to limit the spread of these diseases.
In line with the directives of the revolutionary leadership and the Supreme Political Council, the Ministry of Health and Environment, represented by the Malaria Control Program, worked to strengthen control measures and control mosquito-borne diseases, especially in Hodeida province , the Tihama and other provinces where the disease is endemic , records high rates of fevers and epidemics.
During 2024, the ministry and the program, in cooperation with local authorities in those provinces and a number of related parties, confronted the spread of dengue fever and malaria diseases by launching various types of control campaigns, holding meetings, implementing training courses, strengthening the surveillance process, and intensifying efforts to confront epidemics.
A report issued by the program, of which the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) received a copy, explained that during the past year 2024, routine entomological surveillance activities for malaria continued in ten malaria units to explore and remove mosquito breeding sources and the activities of the units' medical team "doctors and laboratorians" in supervising health facilities to verify the quality of data , supply of medicines and respond quickly to any reports of an increase in the number of cases.
Supervisory visits to malaria units were also carried out to review the performance of the entomological team in the units and verify the results of the entomological surveillance. The data of 20 sites within the framework of the units were verified, an entomological investigation, larviciding and fogging activity was carried out in the targeted areas.
The report indicated that control campaigns were carried out by spraying the walls of houses with residual insecticide and distributing impregnated mosquito nets in the targeted areas, where 86,319 houses were sprayed in Ibb, Hodeida, Al-Mahwit, Taiz, Dhamar, Raymah, and Sana'a provinces.
918,744 mosquito nets were distributed in Hodeida, Taiz, Hajjah, Marib provinces, to protect 1,884,476 people in March, and about 989,000 mosquito nets were distributed in Sana'a, Raymah, Dhamar, Ibb and Al-Mahwit provinces.
A campaign to spray and remove mosquito breeding sources was implemented in Hodeida, Ibb, Hajjah, Amran, Sana'a, and Al-Mahwit provinces during the period from September 17-24, 2024 through 40 teams consisting of a team leader, two workers, ten supervisors from malaria units, and two campaign leaders.
Regarding training on diagnosis and treatment, the report mentioned that a residency activity was implemented in several hospitals in Al-Mahwit and Sa'ada provinces to train doctors and laboratory technicians on the national policy for antimalarial drugs and microscopic diagnosis of the disease.
Diagnosis and treatment of simple malaria cases by community health volunteers in the third level, which lacks health services, has been expanded by holding ten training courses to train 240 volunteers in 22 districts spread across six provinces: Hajjah, Taiz, Al-Hudaydah, Al-Mahwit, Dhamar and Raymah: Hajjah, Taiz, Hudaydah, Mahwit, Dhamar and Rima.
According to the report, an annual motivational meeting was also held for 1,573 volunteers who are currently working to provide diagnostic and treatment services in 65 districts in Ibb, Al-Mahwit, Taiz, Hajjah, Hodeida, Dhamar, Raymah, Sana'a and Amran provinces.
It pointed out that an education campaign was implemented through school students in 23 districts in Al-Hodeida province to raise awareness of malaria and dengue disease, transmission and control methods, behavior change and the practice of students and their families in the field of prevention and control, where 887 teachers from schools in the province were trained to be trainers and educators for students in the targeted schools.
During the past year, trainers in Al-Hodeida schools trained 16,730 students about malaria and started students' activities in the community (removing sources and collecting larvae), and a pre- and post-evaluation of the activity was carried out and proved a remarkable success in achieving the goal of the campaign in raising awareness and practices for students and their families in prevention and control.
The report stated that the malaria diagnosis and treatment activity was implemented in malaria-endemic areas through the activity of mobile teams in Ghafra area in Sa'ada province, Bani Qais district in Hajjah province, and the districts of Mazhar, Bilad Al-Ta'al, and Al-Salafiya in Raymah province, where the number of examined people reached 3,189 and 491 confirmed cases of infection were treated.
According to the report, during 2024, the national malaria control strategy (2025-2028) was discussed and approved, and the expansion of the disease surveillance system was supported by training 100 surveillance officers in new health facilities in Hodeida, Raymah, Al-Mahwit, Hajjah, Amran, Sa'ada, Sana'a, Dhamar and Ibb provinces.
During the past year, malaria drugs and tests were distributed in 1,485 health facilities and 1,640 volunteers in 14 targeted provinces, including Ibb, Al-Bayda, Al-Jawf, Al-Hodeida, Al-Mahwit, Taiz, Hajjah, Dhamar, Raymah, Sa'ada, Sana'a, Amran, Marib, in addition to the Capital Sana'a.
The Director General of the National Malaria Control Program, Dr. Mithaq Al-Sada, stressed the Ministry of Health's interest in combating malaria and dengue fever, especially in areas with the highest prevalence of vector mosquitoes.
He said that in implementation of the Revolution Leader directives and the President of the Supreme Political Council to strengthen efforts to combat malaria and deliver services to citizens in rural and remote areas, the program worked on distributing mosquito nets, investigating the epidemic, distributing medicines and test strips, spraying with residual and fogging pesticides, awareness , health education and others, especially in endemic areas.
Dr. Al-Sada pointed out that there are many control activities implemented through the program's axis in Tihama and its branches in the provinces that were not included in the report, stressing that the ministry will spare no effort in devoting efforts to combat malaria, dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.
He touched on the role of community committees in the targeted provinces in enhancing community awareness and sense of responsibility on how to avoid infection with these diseases and limit their spread.
The Director General of the Malaria Control Program explained that all activities, programs, distribution of mosquito nets, awareness campaigns, mist spraying, residual pesticide and removal of vectors and their sources, aimed to reduce the sources of mosquito breeding and malaria vectors, combat mosquito-borne diseases and protect the districts in the targeted provinces, in addition to paying attention to the aspects of education directed at community segments on ways to prevent diseases and epidemics caused by mosquitoes, and preserve the public environment.
He said that primary health care is the first line of defense in the health system and represents the front line in combating diseases and epidemics and limiting their spread, pointing out that health care acquires a social character based on community initiatives and volunteers, which played a major role in limiting the spread of diseases and epidemics during the past years, which the aggression contributed to their more deadly spread.
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