Rotary International sensitises pregnant women on malaria

The campaign, which is part of the organisation’s social corporate responsibility, was held at the Kanifing General Hospital on Tuesday.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Emma Bruce, chairperson of Rotary District 9101 revealed that her organisation is complementing the government's effort in terms of malaria prevention across the country.

"Malaria can be very deadly and sometimes is not just fever you have especially for pregnant women and children under years old." she said.

Dr. Bruce said they concentrated on pregnant women and children to raise awareness as the rainy season is fast approaching and that is the time they realise rise in malaria cases.

"We starting with the Serrekunda General Hospital and Bundung Hospital." she mentioned.

The midwives, she explained, would sensitise pregnant women first and inform them on the importance of drinking their pregnancy medication to be protected from deadly insect by sleeping under mosquito nets.

She thus called on all to keep their environment clean by making sure that there is no stagnant water in their surroundings, to discourage mosquitoes from laying eggs.

"We also sensitise mothers on some of the symptoms of malaria so that they can rush their children to hospitals when they notice some of these symptoms." 

She advised the pregnant women to take their malaria medication seriously for their own well-being and to protect the babies from the disease. 

The malaria campaign, he added, started in the Upper River and Central River Regions (CRR), saying it yielded positive results in those communities.

Fatoumatta Barrow, a mother underscored the importance of the campaign, as it brings awareness on preventing the disease.

“When we come here, we have health talk we have also sensitised continuously for people to be sleeping under mosquito nets. I therefore, call on my fellow women to come to the hospital and take their dose in order to protect themselves and their children to listen to guidelines in order to protect themselves and their family.” 

Shona Gaye, a midwife at the Kanifing General Hospital, thanked Rotary International for choosing the hospital to do awareness forum, further advising pregnant women to take their medication regularly and always sleep under mosquito treated bed nets.

Samuel S. Gomez, from the National Malaria Control (NMCP), said the sensitisation is for the people to know the importance of this mosquito treated bed nets.

The distribution of the mosque nets, he added, will be in two phrases first within the border villages between Senegal and The Gambia.

"We will start from Foni to Koina and the second phase we will come back to Kombo starting from Kombo East to Banjul." he added.

"We will do the registration first and then go come to the distribution of the mosquito nets," he said.