Malaria is a disease of poverty. It is both a cause and a consequence of poverty. Its impact is especially ferocious on the poorest: those least able to afford preventive measures and medical treatment. And yet, malaria is entirely preventable through an integrated package of interventions, such as properly maintained insecticide-treated bed-nets, indoor residual spraying, rapid & accurate diagnosis and treatment, and most import to sustainability, education campaigns for both adults & children. The program for adults will use material developed by PAHO (see email) and the Red Cross as per the MOU. The children's project is designed by Rotarian Rossi Brit. Core curriculum material will come form PAHO
This Project will create a training and certification program for local microscopistas (technician trained to diagnose diseases, particularly malaria, using a microscope), in partnership with the Santiago de Cali University, and with Dra Josefina Lopez, a Bacteriologist at the Buenaventura Hospital. covering the care and use of microscopes to bolster the diagnostic capacity of the entire region. Quick accurate diagnosis of malaria is a key to elimination. The project will purchase microscopes for villages that lack them and will pay for cleaning and repair of microscopes currently in place.