RTI International leads malaria education and prevention program which assists more than 600,000 South Africans
Posted: 12-07-2006 :

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- As part of an effort to prevent the spread of malaria, RTI International led a collaborative effort to design and implement an education program delivering malaria prevention and treatment messages to more than 600,000 South Africans.

The project, funded by S.C. Johnson & Son and involving South Africa's National Department of Health, Medical Research Council, and Malaria Control Programs in the Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo provinces, was implemented during the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 malaria seasons and delivers malaria education to school children and community members in order to improve knowledge about the disease, teach prevention methods, and encourage those with malaria symptoms to seek treatment and comply with prescribed medical treatment.

"South Africa's Malaria Control Program has been quite successful in establishing procedures for mosquito control; however, it was looking to improve its outreach and communications approaches with communities in at-risk areas," said Eugene Brantly, malaria program director at RTI International. "The partners on this project collaborated to develop a malaria outreach program that has now been integrated into South Africa's mainstream health promotion efforts and will continue to reach people in malaria-affected areas of the country."

According to the project staff, community member understanding of malaria prevention options increased seven times and recognition of the signs and symptoms of malaria increased nine times following participation in the education program. Prior to the education program, more than 60 percent of adults and children could not provide a reason to comply with medication to treat malaria. However, following education session participation, that number stood at just 12 percent.

According to the World Health Organization, 350 to 500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide each year -- five times as many cases of tuberculosis, AIDS and measles combined. Malaria kills more than one million people each year, most of whom are children under 5 and 90 percent of whom live in Africa, south of the Sahara.

This project builds on RTI's extensive work in malaria control. RTI International researchers are working with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement the President's Malaria Initiative designed to reduce by 50 percent the number of deaths caused by malaria in 15 selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. As part of that effort, RTI staff members have treated the homes of more than 2 million Africans in Uganda, Angola and Zanzibar against malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The program will expand to seven countries in 2007 and as many as 15 countries by 2008.

About RTI International
RTI International is dedicated to conducting research and development that improves the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. With a worldwide staff of more than 2,500, RTI offers innovative research and technical solutions to governments and businesses worldwide in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, democratic governance, economic and social development, advanced technology, energy, and the environment. The second largest independent nonprofit research organization in the United States, RTI maintains nine offices in the U.S., five international offices, and one international subsidiary, as well as project offices around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org.