mozambique-malaria control

mozambique: malaria control

Since the late 1990s malaria has once again become a primary concern of international development agencies, philanthropic organizations, western donor countries and national governments. Yet, little is known about what local communities think about malaria and how they feel this disease should be controlled.

After having phased out DDT spraying for almost 30 years, the Mozambican Ministry of Health and The World Health Organization (WHO) have recently decided to reintroduce Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) with DDT as a means to control malaria. IRS was used in southern Mozambique over 40 years ago, helping momentarily to reduce the incidence of the disease, but was eventually phased out because of mosquito resistance to DDT and public health concerns.

The Paradigm Shift Project will speak with community members and put together a short film which will be provided free of charge to local organizations working in the area of public health, to be used as a campaigning and fundraising tool to support their ongoing work to implement alternative malaria control programmes. The film will also be placed online to network potential donors in the global north to these local organizations, while also raising awareness of the issues surrounding malaria and public health in Mozambique.

The Paradigm Shift Project will document the local perceptions on the reintroduction of IRS, and the community’s take on the most relevant malaria control strategies for their health and environment.