A family being checked for malaria

14 September 2011: A project to curtail deaths from malaria and reduce guinea worm and river blindness infections is being rolled out across Togo as part of a US$25,200,000 partnership between the country's Ministry of Health, Plan and The Global Fund.

The partnership in Togo is one of 3 between Plan and The Global Fund in West Africa with a combined value of more than $50,500,000. Burkina Faso ($13,600,000) and Cameroon ($12,100,000) are the other recipient countries. 

As implementation of the projects winds down in Burkina, it is scaling up in Togo and Cameroon. All projects will be complete by February 2013.

Child focus

With a focus on child participation, Plan works with local partners and its own child and youth groups to deliver long-lasting insecticide nets and raise awareness of malaria prevention and treatment. 

In addition, communities are made aware of other easily prevented and treated maladies caused by parasites. Treatment is made available at net distribution sites for river blindness-round worms, guinea worms and schistosomiasis-snail fever. Vitamin A deficiency-immune boosts are also provided.

Children under 5 are particularly vulnerable to malaria and Vitamin A deficiency. In Africa, every 45 seconds a child dies from malaria and accounts for 20% of child deaths according to the World Health Organisation. 

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