- Home
- Responsibility
- CR Report 2004
- Case studies
- Tackling poverty and malaria in West Africa
Case Study
Tackling poverty and malaria in West Africa
We’ve known for 100 years that mosquitoes spread the malaria parasite, yet only now is this information causing a quiet revolution in West African villages.
Credit with Education, an initiative by Freedom from Hunger, aims to break the cycle of poverty and ill health by providing financial services and education for poor women. GSK’s African Malaria Partnership is funding a new malaria education programme as part of this project.
Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world, is benefiting. Poor women in rural areas can access small loans, savings facilities and other financial services by joining their village credit association. They meet regularly to make loan repayments and learn about issues from basic business skills to child nutrition and family planning. Malaria prevention and treatment is a recent addition.
It is estimated that in Africa a child dies from malaria every 30 seconds but many people are unaware that malaria is spread by mosquitoes feeding at night. The malaria education teaches women how to prevent infection by using insecticide-treated bednets, and to recognise early signs of malaria.
Kiswenside is one woman who has benefited. She trades soap and clothing and through the credit association was able to save part of her weekly income to purchase an insecticide-treated bednet. “Now even though it is very hot, we accept that we must sleep under a net. I feel a great satisfaction and a little pride that I can make positive changes in my life,” she says.
The malaria education module is expected to reach half a million people by 2006 in six West African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Togo and Senegal.
Back to top
