Early this year, Tanzania made a notable move towards the war against malaria by launching a campaign involving all

President Jakaya Kikwete

stakeholders and spearheaded by President Jakaya Kikwete.
Tanzania's health ministry and health partners in the private sector swung into action in February this year in an all-out war against the killer malaria using the performing arts to attract public attention to bring the disease under control.
The new anti-malaria campaign named "Malaria Haikubaliki" which translates to “Malaria is not acceptable” according to the Health and Social Welfare Minister, Prof David Mwakyusa, is unique because it recruits advocates from all sectors of society including business, sport, entertainment and religion.

The launch by President Kikwete, who is also the Director of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), shows the seriousness of the campaign and the envisaged outcome.

ALMA is a unifying agency meant to bring African leaders together to raise global awareness and support for the fight against malaria.

Launching the nationwide anti-malaria campaign, under the buzzword 'Zinduka' meaning 'wake up', Kikwete said that every Tanzanian must be involved in this effort, if the war against the number one killer disease  malaria  must be won.

“The campaign aims to promote the people's awareness about the disease and the danger it pose to the nation” the President said, noting that 290 people die of malaria daily in Tanzania.

'Failure is not acceptable. This is a war we must all fight vigorously and win,'' Mr. Kikwete said, urging sponsors of the campaign to make sure the message reaches all parts of the country.

The bulk of malaria victims in Tanzania are pregnant women and children below five years and, according to Mr. Kikwete, malaria-related deaths have turned into a national disaster.

According to global mapping by the WHO, Tanzania is located in a very high malaria endemic area and for the 35 million population to stay on the safe side, effective preventive interventions must be put in place at all times.

The anti-malaria campaign is being sponsored by the US President Malaria Initiative, the Global Fund for the Fight against HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis, Malaria No More, Population Services International (PSI), John Hopkins University, and Exxon Mobil of the US.

Local firms and institutions taking part in the campaign include mobile phone company -Vodacom (Tanzania), the Tanzania Muslim Council, Christian Social Services Commission, Tanzania Red Cross and A-to-Z Textile Factory.

Youth from the Tanzania House of Talent, the local centre that invests in the lives of young people through performing arts, are spearheading the campaign to encourage positive and proactive public behavioural change towards malaria.
It is estimated that children under age five account for 20 percent of the Tanzanian population.  Meanwhile, the under five year olds also account for 90 percent of the around 60, 000 malaria deaths occurring in the country every year.

According to health officials, women who contract malaria during pregnancy run the risk of having low birth weight babies, maternal anemia, impaired foetal growth, spontaneous abortions, stillbirths and premature babies.

The campaign aims to increase the use of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets among the people, especially expectant mothers, children under five years of age and other members of the community most susceptible and vulnerable to communicable diseases.

Preventive interventions being encouraged include indoor residual spraying in all buildings and homes in order to kill a mosquito any time it enters a house for a blood meal.

In the words of President Kikwete, ''Our generation should be the last to suffer from malaria. The next generation should only read about malaria in books,'’
 
Tanzania is therefore on an all-out war against the disease to help not only pregnant women and children but the entire population.