VillageReach recently completed an annual evaluation of its Kwitanda Community Health Project. The results of the evaluation indicate that VillageReach is making great progress toward meeting its goals to reduce incidence of malaria and diarrhea and to increase treatment of malaria and diarrhea in the Kwitanda community.
Highlights of the evaluation include:
- Household net ownership has increased from 74% of households reporting ownership of a net in 2010, to 82% of households in 2011. This is much higher than the national average of only 67.3% of households reporting ownership of a net.[1]
- Mosquito net use increased overall from 40% of individuals reporting sleeping under a mosquito net in 2010 to 58% in 2011. Among children under-5, mosquito net use increased as well from 65% in 2009 to 71% in 2011.
- More than 83% of pregnant women sleep under a mosquito net. This is a new indicator in this year’s evaluation so no comparison is available from 2010, but this is much higher than the national average of 43.3%.
- The highest proportion of mosquito nets in use in the Kwitanda catchment area were distributed by VillageReach. Of the individuals sleeping under a mosquito net, nearly half of them reported the net was received from VillageReach.
- The proportion of households reporting a clean drinking water source increased from 2009. However the proportion of households fell slightly from last year. In 2009, 82% of households reporting clean drinking water, 91% in 2010 and 86% in 2011.
- Malaria incidence is declining. The proportion of households reporting at least one case of malaria in the three months prior to the survey has declined from 91% in 2010 to 72% in 2011. The percentage of individuals reporting suffering from malaria in the three months prior to the survey declined from 30% in 2010 to 26% in 2011, with an average monthly incidence of 6.7%.
- Diarrhea incidence is declining. The proportion of households reporting at least one case of diarrhea in the three months prior to the survey has declined from 61% in 2010 to 18% in 2011. The percentage of individuals surveyed reporting at least one case of diarrhea in the three months prior to the survey declined from 12% to less than 6%.
- Access to care has increased for children under-5 as well as for the general population. 70% of households surveyed reported a village clinic in their area and nearly half had used a village clinic. Overall treatment rates for malaria and diarrhea have increased and most people access care at the Kwitanda Health Center or village clinics.
Read more about the Kwitanda Community Health Project on our Malawi page. The full evaluation report is available here.
[1] DHS Preliminary Report 2010