“FIGHTING MALARIA IN AGUSAN DEL SUR”

Malaria was one of the alarming diseases encountered by the residents in Agusan Del Sur due to the regions abundant source of water. According to the study, some 84% of the 308 barangays in Agusan Del Sur in Mindanao were classified as endemic for malaria. This disease may occur to any person who was bitten by a mosquito which possibly carries malaria. These mosquitoes usually live in areas specifically to the regions with waters. It is a human threat that has relentlessly taken human life.  

Farming is the prime source of income of the residents in Agusan Del Sur. Farmers usually leaves home before sun rises and come back after sun sets. In between this period of time, they were into the farm watering and cleaning their crops using water from irrigations wherein some of these irrigations were stock-up. This situation becomes the reason why people were prone to malaria.

When cases of malaria continuously increased, the Barangay Health Workers, COMBHEA organization, health experts like midwives and doctors, government officials together with the residents of Agusan Del Sur have hand-in-hand decided and agreed to fight malaria through general cleanings. All the possible areas where mosquitoes lived was checked and cleaned-up. For the malaria victims, relatives and friends were encouraged to take the patient to the hospital directly, if symptoms of malaria occur, for proper medications and advised to be extra careful and always clean the environment.

Through the help of Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) with the coordination of the Department of Health (DOH) Provincial Government of Agusan Del Sur, community trust fund have established for the malaria control projects (Mary Joy Bardillas).The Agusan Del Sur Malaria Control Project (ADSMCP) decided to create a subcomponent of community participation in order to sustain the project goals. ADSMCP also have micro-enterprise development program which was considered an appropriate intervention for the barangay health workers because it will serve as a tool for the institutional strengthening of the Barangay Health Workers Organization (BHWO). The project also have the community-based approach wherein information about local knowledge of malaria, its transmission, treatment and prevention were gathered in order to incorporate these informations into community interventions through seminars lead by BHW’s, DOH, and provincial government officials. The project has become a bridge in building-up new organization in Mindanao called Community-Based Health Educators and Advocates (COMBHEA). It is composed of youths in every barangay. The main purpose of establishing this organization is for the youths to learn more about malaria disease and other problems which concerns our health, apply the learnings, inform and assist the community based on what they have learned. COMBHEA has not only gained self-awareness but also knew the significance of having a healthy environment for a healthy living. More importantly, youths have been very useful in disseminating the informations about malaria. They were the ones who informed the community to always clean the surroundings and check the possible places where mosquitoes may live.

The Agusan Del Sur Malaria Control and Prevention Project helped reduced the transmission of malaria in hyper endemic areas by raising community awareness of malaria prevention strategies; establishing a community volunteer program for malaria control utilizing existing barangay health worker networks; and developing a community-based financing scheme to sustain malaria control activities.