Scaling up malaria control in Zambia: progress and impact 2005-2008

Abstract

Zambia national survey, administrative, health facility, and special study data were used to assess progress and impact in national malaria control between 2000 and 2008. Zambia malaria financial support expanded from US$9 million in 2003 to US$ approximately 40 million in 2008. High malaria prevention coverage was achieved and extended to poor and rural areas. Increasing coverage was consistent in time and location with reductions in child (age 6-59 months) parasitemia and severe anemia (53% and 68% reductions, respectively, from 2006 to 2008) and with lower post-neonatal infant and 1-4 years of age child mortality (38% and 36% reductions between 2001/2 and 2007 survey estimates). Zambia has dramatically reduced malaria transmission, disease, and child mortality burden through rapid national scale-up of effective interventions. Sustained progress toward malaria elimination will require maintaining high prevention coverage and further reducing transmission by actively searching for and treating infected people who harbor malaria parasites.

Figure 1.

External funding support for Zambia malaria control: estimates for 2003–2008.

Figure 2.

Number of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) distributed structures sprayed and rapid diagnostic tests distributed by year in Zambia between 2003–2008.

Figure 3.

Estimated operational coverage of 3 insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) per household in overlapping 3-year intervals based on ITN distributions by district in Zambia during 2003–2008. This figure appears in color at www.ajtmh.org.

Figure 4.

Malaria prevention intervention coverage progress in Zambia, 2002–2008.

Figure 5.

Child parasitemia and anemia rates by age group—findings from the Zambia 2006 and 2008 Malaria Indicator Surveys (MIS).

Figure 6.

Changes in intervention coverage and prevalence of malaria and moderate-severe anemia in poorest households and changes in the equity ratio* between 2006 and 2008, Zambia.