Background to the Project

Malaria has been the leading cause of patient visits to health facilities and of deaths in Tanzania.

It is estimated that about 70% of Patients admitted in the regional hospitals are suffering from malaria or malaria related complications. In Tanzania malaria is aggravated by the presence of swamps, paddy fields and stagnant waters that have accumulated in open crevices and holes dug during human activities such as mining and brick making as mosquitoes breeding places.

In terms of advocacy, one of the major issues facing the country has been a lack of involvement and initiatives from the Government and political leaders regarding malaria prevention and treatment interventions. The following problems were identified by ORES as requiring action from political leaders:

-	Lack of affordable insecticide treated mosquito nets. The country target is for 60% coverage of the population (especially pregnant women and children) in malaria endemic areas to sleep everyday under insecticide treated mosquito nets. Only 15% had been reached.
-	Lack of drugs for treatment and prevention. The country target is for 60% of pregnant women at risk of malaria to take preventive drugs. In addition, 60% of those with malaria should have access to treatment with malaria drugs within 12 - 24 hours. Less than 20% had been achieved.
-	Lack of involvement of civil society organisations. Through community group discussions there is a need to encourage sharing of culturally appropriate knowledge about the causes and treatment of malaria and the use of cultural and traditional approaches to combat diseases and behavioural change.
-	Lack of decision makers' involvement in cross-cutting malaria interventions. These include: those aimed at empowering communities and facilitating their participation in designing strategies for malaria source reduction and appropriate health seeking behaviour; and the development of inter-sectoral partnerships beyond the health sector to facilitate the implementation of appropriate prevention and control measures for malaria including impact assessment of development projects and capacity building though training at multiple levels.
-	Lack of involvement and coordination of political leaders in addressing health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and implementation of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership Global Strategic Plan 2005-2015 in Tanzania.