Communities take charge for child health
In Magaria, Niger, MSF community health officers are bridging the gap between communities and healthcare facilities and preventing deaths of children under the age of five.
Photo: © Mack Alix Mushitsi/MSF
Photo: © Mario Fawaz/MSF
“I used to see around 10 children a day affected by malaria,” says Mariatou Habou, a community health officer in Haramia. “Since the treatment activities started, the numbers have drastically dropped. My greatest wish is that the preventive activities continue.”
Photo: © Mack Alix Mushitsi/MSF
Amadou, a community liaison officer in Magaria, prepares medication to distribute to children under five suffering from malaria, diarrhoea or respiratory infections.
Photo: © Mario Fawaz/MSF
Ramza (right), a community health officer, has travelled to see a young boy who is sick in one of the more remote villages in the region. This approach is a relief to many parents as it avoids days of travelling to access healthcare.
Photo: © Ainhoa Larrea/MSF
Three-year old Mohammed Sani was referred by a community health officer to the Magaria District Hospital in the Zinder region. He was suffering from Kwashiorkor, a form of severe acute malnutrition characterised by a swollen face and limbs. Without treatment, Mohammed might have died.
Photo: © Mario Fawaz/MSF
Being rich in water, Magaria has a lot of pools of water close to the villages, many of which give fishermen a form of revenue. However, stagnant pools can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry malaria.
Photo: © Mario Fawaz/MSF
MSF teams gather water samples from various water points like wells and lakes to assess the levels of mosquito larvae present. If the levels are high, water points are treated with insecticides, with community agreement.