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Malaria programme tackles COVID-19 in Sierra Leone - how vital information saves lives

2020-04-24T17:51:08+00:00

People have been - understandably – very frightened by the threat of the new coronavirus COVID-19 in Sierra Leone. The country’s experience with Ebola in 2014-15 still feels very recent and its healthcare system is fragile; when the first cases of COVID-19 were announced, mis-trust and mis-information were rife, and our audiences were hungry for calm, accurate information they could trust.

Our popular Krio-language radio show, Tawa Fo Welbodi - which means ‘determined for health’— broadcasts weekly on partner radio stations around the country and is uniquely placed to help in this crisis.

Madiama is a listener of Tawa Fo Welbodi. Photo: Comic Relief

In special editions of these shows, we have focused on the novel coronavirus and provided audiences with information about what it is, how it is spread, how to protect yourself, what symptoms are, and what to do if you or someone you know develop those symptoms.

Our challenge now is to meet audiences’ needs for information about the novel coronavirus, while continuing our important focus on malaria prevention - debunking myths and increasing awareness about malaria. Half the world is still at risk from this deadly disease, which is both preventable and treatable. There were more than 200 million new cases of the disease in 2018, and a child still dies of malaria every two minutes.

Adapt, adjust and continue

As the COVID-19 pandemic dominates headlines and thoughts, we are rapidly adapting to this new context. Our radio programmes continue to emphasise the importance of early testing and early treatment for malaria, and we are providing clear, detailed information about the symptoms of malaria versus the symptoms of COVID-19. We’re also providing guidance about when to report to hospital for malaria testing, and when to self-isolate and call the emergency line.

We also know, from our research and our experience during and after the Ebola crisis, that people tend to fear and stay away from hospitals at times such as this, and may turn instead to traditional medicine. Our programmes inform audiences about measures in place at malaria treatment centres to ensure patients’ safety and protection, and remind audiences about the dangers of relying on traditional medicines instead of modern treatments for malaria. We also give updates on planned national programmes, like the next distribution of insecticide treated nets.

Our Facebook page is the most-liked page in Sierra Leone with over 500,000 followers; we are using this to post regular content from ��̳ Media Action's global response to COVID-19, including this animation about physical distancing and this interview on misinformation and how to identify it. We are also sharing infographics on symptoms and creating our own animations for our audiences about prevention methods.

Watch this video, produced by Comic Relief and GSK, about our Tawa Fo Welbodi project (filmed autumn 2019)

And we are sharing real stories, like this family who are taking malaria prevention more seriously than ever, to continue to emphasise the importance of protecting ourselves against malaria, especially while the country is experiencing another public health emergency.

"While you are protecting yourself from COVID-19 you should also protect yourself from malaria… it kills fast" says Vandi Magona demonstrating the steps he takes to protect his family from malaria.

Dispelling fear and mistrust

We work hard to feature local voices, such as medical experts, local leaders or well-known entertainers, that people recognise and trust to help dispel fear. For this World Malaria Day, we will share a short video on our Facebook page from popular comedian Kindo Amani, who reminds audiences that it’s still important to work to prevent malaria and to seek early treatment.

And we continue to remind our audiences who is most at risk from malaria. Antenatal visits - where pregnant women receive intermittent preventative treatment - are as important as ever, as are vaccinations for children. We inform our audiences about the continued importance of these and how people can safely access them now.

These are unprecedented times, but we will continue to produce radio and social media content that people will engage with and most importantly trust about COVID-19 and about malaria – to ensure people know how to best protect themselves and their families.

Mary Morgan is Head of Production for ��̳ Media Action, Sierra Leone

Learn more about our global response to COVID-19 here
Tawa Fo Welbodi is supported by Comic Relief and GSK, you can find out more about the project here.

‘Why I’m helping protect pregnant women from malaria in Sierra Leone’

2018-04-24T15:50:11+00:00

As the world marks World Malaria Day, hear from Eastina Massaquoi, the presenter of our new radio programme Tawa Fo Welbodi (which means 'Determined for Health') in Sierra Leone. Eastina helped stop Ebola and now she’s applying what we learned during the 2014-2016 crisis to help tackle malaria – which causes 40% of deaths outside of hospitals across the country.

In January 2010, three days before my 21st birthday I was admitted to Konibanks Hospital in Freetown. My (now late) mother had called my boyfriend late at night asking him to rush me to the nearest hospital because I was restless, weak, and couldn’t hold anything in my stomach.

I was diagnosed with severe malaria.

Before being hospitalised I have to admit I was clueless about how dangerous malaria is and how lightly we take it in Sierra Leone. It was a wake-up call and made me recognise how important awareness of the dangers of malaria is. After being unable to celebrate my 21st birthday, I made a commitment to myself to always go to the hospital for a malaria test and to receive proper treatment.

I realised that I could have died at 21.

My boyfriend later became my husband and when I fell pregnant with our first child taking the advised measures to prevent malaria became even more important. Sleeping under a treated bed net, cleaning to prevent malaria breeding grounds and taking three doses of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), an anti-malarial for pregnant women became second nature. And by taking these precautions I’ve now given birth to two healthy, malaria-free babies.

But I am just one of thousands of women who get pregnant every day in Sierra Leone. Many women are either unware of how to protect themselves – like I used to be – or simply don’t know that free malaria prevention services are (or should be) available at government health facilities.

If their symptoms are not perceived as life-threatening people often resort to ‘first aid’ like treating a fever or diarrhoea with oral rehydration solutions or paracetamol rather than treating the real cause: malaria.

On top of that, there are many common myths and misconceptions about the disease in Sierra Leone. Often people believe malaria is caused by cold or changeable weather, or you can catch it by eating fruits like pineapple, or that people with fair skin are more prone to getting the disease. The list goes on.

The dangers of misinformation

I’m both a mother and a journalist. When Ebola broke out in Sierra Leone we saw how myth and rumour caused the disease to spread. To help people understand what was happening we knew people needed to hear from trusted voices, like local leaders or medical experts, in their own language. My job was to train journalists from our partner radio stations to broadcast accurate health information.

We’re now applying the same principles to dispel common myths and misconceptions about malaria with a new weekly radio show I present called called Tawa Fo Welbodi (which means 'Determined for Health').

The show aims to stop people thinking of malaria as ‘normal’ and actively encourage mothers and fathers to become determined to end malaria in their homes and communities. And we’re determined to reach and engage pregnant women – who are particularly at risk - with every episode.

Our research tells us people regularly consult their social network when taking health decisions; women tend to consult a trusted older woman, their partner or a friend, whilst men tend to consult friends or traditional healers. So we need to reach these influential people too.

We know media has great power to deliver health messages – but beyond that we’ve learnt the importance of dialogue in helping to change attitudes and behavior. So, we’re sharing people’s stories and experiences on radio and social media, and inviting the audience to have their say.

As we join many others around world today in the battle against malaria we are more determined than ever about beating the disease in Sierra Leone.

Eastina Massaquoi is a presenter for ��̳ Media Action in Sierra Leone
Tawa Fo Welbodi is supported by a Comic Relief and GSK Partnership

For more about our response to the 2014-2016 Ebola crisis:

Kicking Ebola out of Sierra Leone
By bike, by bus and by boat - our Ebola radio show’s incredible bi-weekly journey across Sierra Leone

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Malaria programme tackles COVID-19 in Sierra Leone - how vital information saves lives

‘Why I’m helping protect pregnant women from malaria in Sierra Leone’

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