Ouagadougou: The High Commissioner of Ganzourgou, Ms. Aminata Sorgho/Gouba chaired an advocacy meeting on July 25, 2024 on the implementation of the Chemo-prevention of seasonal malaria (CPS) campaign. Organized by the Zorgho health district, the meeting was held in the meeting room of the Zorgho high commission with the aim of raising awareness on the benefits of SMC and providing information on epidemiological surveillance in the region.
The meeting brought together the presidents of special municipal delegations, heads of defense and security forces and customary, religious and association leaders.
The Chief Medical Officer of the health district (MCD) of Zorgho, Dr Delphin Kaboré, in his presentations, recalled the importance of the Seasonal Malaria Chemo-Prevention (CPS) campaign in the fight against malaria, a disease which remains a threat major for public health, especially among the youngest. According to him, SMC, coupled with screening for acute malnutrition, makes it possible to considerably re
duce the number of malaria cases and detect malnourished children early.
According to him, the campaign begins on July 26, 2024 and ends on July 29. It concerns children aged 3 to 59 months for SMC and 6 to 59 months for screening for acute malnutrition.
For him, CPS has many advantages but its implementation is not without challenges. The presentations highlighted the challenges of door-to-door and fixed-site strategies, as well as the importance of community buy-in.
Beyond malaria, the meeting also provided an opportunity to take stock of the epidemiological situation in the region, particularly with regard to other diseases such as diarrhea, febrile jaundice and even hepatitis E. The latter, which is experiencing an epidemic in a neighboring region, was the subject of a specific presentation, emphasizing prevention and treatment measures.
Despite the challenges, the results of epidemiological surveillance are generally encouraging, according to Dr Kaboré. He indicated that the Central Plateau region an
d particularly the province of Ganzourgou recorded a drop in maternal and neonatal deaths during the first half of 2024, compared to the year 2023.
He praised the involvement of all stakeholders which makes it possible to change the positioning of health indicators in the province. He invited everyone to invest more for the success of this campaign and others to come.
After the questions and answers on the various presentations, the High Commissioner, Aminata Sorgho/Gouba thanked the participants for their presence and invited them to raise awareness around them so that the campaign would be a success.
Source: Burkina Information Agency