07 December 2006

Rapid Tests Reduce Malaria in Bolivia's Migrant Populations

Partnership for a Better Life

 

A child receives a shot to treat malaria in Bolivia, 150 miles north of the capital La Paz. (© AP Images)

When Bolivia's castañeros, or nut harvesters, are sick with malaria, their families' incomes drop because they cannot work and family members must stay home to care for them. At least 15,000 of Bolivia's rural families depend on this market for survival.

Malaria affects more than 3.5 million people in Bolivia each year. Castañeros, who are migratory workers, are particularly vulnerable.

In coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Bolivia’s Ministry of Health trained local health care professionals and voluntary health care workers in malaria prevention and treatment using rapid diagnosis tests. The health care workers also learned how to identify castañeros infected with malaria before the workers return to their homes after harvests.

During the initial testing approximately one-third of castañeros tested positive for malaria and received immediate treatment. The project demonstrated that rapid testing is effective and strengthened local capacity in early diagnosis and treatment.

Bolivia's Ministry of Health and its National Malaria Program have committed resources to continue the project, which promises to improve the health and productivity of many more Bolivians in coming years.

"USAID and its partners have provided the necessary support to achieve an important breakthrough in the prevention and control of malaria among mobile populations," said Viterman Ali, a physician who worked with the USAID project.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)