World Malaria Day: Raising Awareness
Date: 04/25/2010
Despite World Health Organization (WHO) reports of more than 500 million cases of acute malaria and 1 million people dead from the disease each year, its victims do not typically make headlines. World Malaria Day on April 25 serves as a reminder that, according to the WHO, 40% of the world’s population is exposed to malaria, a deadly disease that is both preventable and treatable.
Each year, this day is set aside to acknowledge the combined efforts of individuals, governments, charities, corporations, and other organizations to control malaria with effective, low-cost tools. These global efforts are aimed at funding, research, raising awareness, and providing prevention and treatment and are coordinated through iniatives such as the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership.
Human behavior contributes to risk
Because many of the 80 countries in which it operates are in malarial zones, Schlumberger continues to reach out to at-risk personnel with efforts to raise awareness about the severity of malaria and the benefits of taking preventive action. To get this message to those communities at risk, Schlumberger involves its employees and their families, its customers, and local communities in order to effectively spread the word about the dangers of malaria and the practices and resources available to prevent it. These programs include the Schlumberger Malaria Prevention Program and its HSE outreach program HSE for Youth.
According to Dr. Uche Okorocha, Schlumberger health advisor in West Africa, obstacles to preventing malaria are slowly and methodically being eliminated through the Malaria Prevention Program. Despitethe availability of prevention information and resources, he said, human behavior continues to be a primary obstacle in preventing the disease.
At a recent Society of Petroleum Engineers International Health, Safety & Environment Conference (SPE HSE) in Brazil, Dr. Okorocha told attendees about malaria risks, with a focus on changing behaviors and introducing additional stringent procedures.
“Malaria is preventable and curable if procedures are followed correctly,” Dr. Okorocha said, but often the involvement of human behavior can derail even the most effective tools and procedures. "People tend to forget about the dangers of malaria; thus, ongoing awareness about its prevention and treatment is vital."
Activities commemorate World Malaria Day
Over the last 10 years, the number of malaria cases worldwide has decreased 50%, largely as a result of increased access to treatment and protective bed nets. Since 90% of malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. Okorocha organized a malaria stand-down on April 23 for all Schlumberger employees in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, and the Ivory Coast. The goal of the stand-down was to raise employee awareness about World Malaria Day and to lessen the effects of the human behavior factor.
“Employees are reminded of prevention measures, such as the use of bed nets, and on the importance of following procedures,” commented West Africa HSE manager Eugene Toukam. “In addition, we inform employees on how they can contribute to the fight against malaria in their local communities, such as participating in a Schlumberger HSE for Youth malaria prevention workshop.”
On the occasion of this year’s World Malaria Day, trained volunteers in Cameroon and Nigeria led HSE for Youth malaria prevention workshops at local schools. By educating young people about malaria and how easily it can be prevented and treated, youth are empowered to boost prevention measures in their homes and communities, making malaria prevention a routine activity for the entire family.
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