In efforts to fight against malaria, the MoH has equipped all boarding schools with mosquito nets, and the initiative has yielded results already.
This comes after a study which identified most vulnerable groups of people, of whom boarding students who stay out late hours during evening preps.
Some students at Groupe Scolaire Saint Joseph Kabgayi have thanks to mosquito nets seen malaria cases they used to have decrease.
Igiraneza Ornella said “The number of students infected with malaria decreased as we are using nets. Some students couldn’t bring their nets maybe because their parents couldn’t afford the price.”
Although mosquito nets have been distributed, some students still find it hard to adhere to proper use of them.
Ndibwami Ntwali Landri, a student in S5 MCB said “There are some bad mentalities among students that sleeping in nets make them hot and hardly breath and barely sleep and end up sleeping outside nets which could bring them malaria”.
However, some students also dedicate their time and efforts to educate their colleagues of the danger they could bring to the rest by neglecting regulations.
Frère Innocent Akimana, the Head Teacher at Groupe Scolaire Saint Joseph commends the MoH efforts, noting they alleviated a financial burden to some parents who couldn’t afford equipping their children with nets.
“We thank RBC for the mosquito nets. before, some parents couldn’t afford them, making it a burden for the school, but now we are seeing a difference in malaria cases now. We currently can’t exceed five cases in a term, and it’s mostly that students get it from their homes during holidays”, Akimana said.
Eppafrodite Habanabakize, a worker at Rwanda Biomedical Center, RBC in the division of malaria prevention and awareness, emphasized the government’s commitment to providing mosquito nets to vulnerable populations.
” We have currently equipped all boarding students with mosquito nets, and both students and parents are happy for it. These children are exposed due to staying out late, and staying together in dormitories where malaria could be easily transmitted”, Habanabakize highlighted.
Rwanda which saw 51 malaria deaths in 2023, aims that by the end of 2024 atleast 85% of the population at risk will be effectively protected with preventive interventions.
PHOTOS: Andre RUGEMA
