The Minister in charge of Health noted Thursday, in Ouagadougou, during a press conference that 2,925 children under the age of 5 died of malaria during the year 2022.
"During the year 2022, our country recorded 11,656,675 cases of malaria with 539,488 cases of severe malaria and unfortunately 4,243 deaths, including 2,925 children under the age of 5," said the Minister of Health. Health and Public Hygiene, Dr Robert Kargougou, while specifying that children are the most vulnerable layers.
According to Dr. Kargougou, to protect populations from malaria, his department implements several interventions, which are: the distribution of mosquito nets impregnated with long-lasting insecticide (MILDA), chemo-prevention of seasonal malaria (CPS), intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnant women, vaccination and anti-larval control.
He pointed out that the last distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets which took place in 2022 resulted in the distribution of more than 14 million nets.
For the case of chemo-prevention of malaria, Minister Kargougou showed that the first round, which took place from June 22 to 25, 2023, concerned 19 districts and made it possible to administer drugs to 972,776 children from 3 to 59 month.
“During the P1 passage which took place from July 20 to 23, 2023 and covered all 70 districts, nearly 4 million children aged 3 to 59 months were affected,” he informed.
He also said that it is planned to vaccinate children aged 5 to 17 months against malaria in 2024.
"One million doses will cover the target children in 27 health districts identified according to their high lethality and incidence," he said.
Moreover, he continued, "in view of the very satisfactory results of the research on the R21 vaccine conducted in Burkina Faso by the Nanoro Clinical Research Unit directed by Professor Tinto, Burkina Faso has approved this vaccine “, he specified.
Source: Burkina Information Agency