Malaria remains an unrelenting public health burden in any tropical area where young children live, despite the availability of effective treatments and insecticide-based vector control. Reducing the burden caused by this disease requires a comprehensive approach to prevention that supports the goal of malaria elimination and also fosters improved health and educational outcomes for young children. Schools have been identified as offering a way to integrate these elements into the lives of children in a systematic way. In this article, we describe how to leverage the potential of school-based approaches to prevention, the advantages of this approach, and practical steps for implementation.
The Impact of Malaria on School-Aged Children
The photo describes the effects of malaria on children aged from 0 to 5 by showing 6 different sides. Specifically, those children are less healthy, less likely to go to school, and delayed mental development. Charts illustrate these effects besides the benefits of reducing malaria.
In detail, the impact on health growth depends on 2 different reducing vaccines, which are parasite and no vaccines. For mental development, the impact can be divided into 2 different occurrences, which are no vaccines and half vaccines. School attendance impact can be divided into 4 different occurrences, which are high febrile, high no, ordinary reduced, and ordinary no.
Note that benefits like reducing parasitism by 7%, reducing severity by 7%, and saving money by 18% are all related to reducing malaria.
- Health complications: Malaria can lead to fever, anemia, and serious illness, often leading to high rates of absenteeism from school (in some endemic regions, a third of students miss 20 percent or more of days in class). Severe malaria can progress to hospitalization, and in moderate or even mild forms, it can leave a child battling a range of long-term health issues, with symptoms limiting a child’s ability to learn and grow.
- Educational disruption: As children miss critical weeks of school due to repeated malaria infections, their performance and educational attainment decline. When a child is ill with malaria, teachers are tasked with maintaining the classroom dynamic and providing care to that student, resulting in additional stress for both the student and the educator.
- Economic burden: Malaria does not only affect the health of children, but it can also affect the economic stability of families. The expense of treating a child with malaria and the missed educational opportunities put families and communities in a financial bind.
Why Schools Are Key in Malaria Prevention
Schools are well-positioned to contribute to malaria prevention for several reasons:
- Centralized Outreach: Schools provide centralized, centralizing settings where your children and their families can easily and regularly access health education and preventive services.
- Community Engagement: Schools actively engage with their communities, promoting malaria prevention through targeted messages and collaborative programs. By involving local families and organizations, they can create a strong network for disease awareness and prevention.
- Curriculum Integration: Schools can seamlessly weave malaria education into their curriculum, making health education a fundamental aspect of students’ learning. This approach fosters long-term behavioral changes, empowering students to take an active role in their health and the health of their communities.
Holistic Strategies for Malaria Prevention in Schools
A holistic approach to malaria prevention in schools integrates education, environmental management, health services, and community engagement. Here are some key principles for implementation:
1. Health Education and Awareness
- Integrating the curriculum: Use the school curriculum to teach malaria prevention and health procedures. Subjects can include the mosquito life cycle, symptoms of malaria, and how to safeguard oneself against mosquito bites (eg, sleeping under an insecticide-treated net (ITN), and wearing long-sleeved clothing).
- Workshops and seminars: organize workshops and seminars for secondary school students, their teachers, and parents to educate and raise awareness on malaria prevention and treatment. Implemented by healthcare professionals or any trained community health officer. Malaria, in particular, is a significant public health problem, with more than 219 million new cases reported worldwide in 2017. The disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, resulting in a wide range of symptoms that, if left untreated, can be life-threatening deaths related to malaria occur in children under five years old.
- Student Clubs and Activities: Set up clubs with student members that focus on health as well as malaria prevention. They could undertake activities like poster-making, conducting public awareness campaigns, and even conducting community outreach.
2. Environmental Management
- School Grounds Maintenance: Maintain school grounds so that standing water that can breed mosquitoes is not present. Check containers in and around school property regularly as these can collect water that can breed mosquitoes. Keep drains clean and clear of debris so that they don’t collect water.
- Mosquito Control: Put in place measures in the vicinity of the school, such as the use of larvicides in ponds and indications to use insect repellents at school activities.
3. Provision of Preventive Tools
- Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs): Provide ITNs to students, particularly where malaria transmission is high. Schools can be distribution venues or community-based distribution partners.
- Health Supplies: Basic health supplies, such as insect repellent and brochures about malaria prevention.
4. Health Services and Support
- School Health Clinics: Where feasible, set up or partner with neighboring health clinics to help diagnose and treat malaria at the school, to facilitate early detection and treatment of malaria.
- Health Screenings: Provide regular health screenings for malaria symptoms and other malaria-related conditions. Children who are ill should be carefully assessed, provided care, and followed up, as necessary.
5. Community Engagement and Collaboration
- Partnerships with Local Health Authorities: Partner with local health authorities, NGOs, and community health workers to improve access and malaria prevention. Leverage those relationships to train and distribute resources and support.
- Parent and Community Involvement: Utilise parents and community members to promote increased malaria prevention engagement. Provide information and resources to families and urge them to adopt prevention techniques in the home.
Success Stories and Case Studies
The “Malaria-Free Schools” Initiative in Tanzania
For example, the highly successful ‘Malaria-Free Schools’ program in Tanzania has integrated malaria prevention into school programs by holding educational sessions on malaria prevention, distributing ITNs to children, and conducting regular environmental checks on school grounds. As a result, participating schools have seen a drop in student malaria cases and an increase in awareness in the surrounding community.
The “Healthy Schools Program” in Mozambique
The ‘Healthy Schools Program’, implemented in Mozambique as a complementary policy, integrated malaria prevention as an important part of school health policies. Mosquito nets were distributed in schools, and teachers were trained in malaria prevention, as well as health education. This program improved students’ health outcomes and encouraged increased community involvement in malaria prevention.
The “School Health Clubs” Project in Uganda
Photo supplied by the writer. The ‘School Health Clubs’ scheme in Uganda creates a space for students to become active in malaria prevention through interactive activities and community outreach. Students organize awareness campaigns, distribute ITNs, and contribute to local health initiatives. The result so far has been an increase in the level of malaria knowledge among students and a shift in community practices.
Challenges and Solutions
Resource Limitations
Some communities with a high rate of malaria may lack the resources to implement measures for preventing the spread of malaria. Practical solutions might include working with NGOs, government programs, and commercial companies to provide staff and materials to assist schools.
Sustaining Engagement
Maintaining this sustained interest in malaria prevention after the initial project ends is challenging. Updated curriculum and regular health club meetings kept students interested, and community events maintained engagement and participation.
Addressing Diverse Needs
Schools might have different needs depending on location and malaria transmission levels. A “one size fits all” policy often overlooks the diverse needs of different communities, failing to address unique contextual factors. Instead of a universal policy, it’s important to try to address different needs in different contexts. Schools should work with local health experts.
Comprehensive malaria prevention at school holds promise for reducing children’s incidence of one of the oldest and most debilitating diseases. An integrated approach to malaria prevention through education, environmental management, health services, and community engagement could make schools key sites for malaria reduction and improved child health. These efforts require educators, health specialists, and communities to collaborate, but the benefits are enormous for children and their communities. Schools can become vital platforms for remedial action and contribute to personal and community health through integrated malaria prevention.
