When the hospital is too far: saving lives from severe malaria in hard-to-reach areas (cutdown)

Описание: Set in Mwadingusha and Lupweshi village in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this film documents Chatie Kalukwa Kalobo’s journey to save her son’s life when he falls ill with severe malaria. After seeing a community health worker in her village who administers rectal artesunate (RAS) to her son and refers him to a hospital for treatment with injectable artesunate, Chatie is unable to complete the journey, and instead returns to the community health worker where he follows up with a second dose of RAS, followed by 3-day ACT treatment for her to give to her son at home.

Malaria still claims the lives of more than 500,000 children under 5 each year, mostly in remote areas of Africa. For children suffering from severe malaria, timely access to effective treatment can mean the difference between life and death, especially in areas where referral health facilities are hours or even days away.

The SEMA ReACT consortium aims to generate data on treatment strategies that openly acknowledge and address the challenges faced by rural and vulnerable communities at risk of severe malaria infection. It aims to help reduce the burden of severe malaria, malaria mortality and morbidity in Africa, particularly in the youngest and most vulnerable members of society.

The project was initiated by Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and further developed by the SEMA ReACT consortium partners under the coordination of the Global Health Institute of the University of Antwerp.