The Shire Valley Vector Control Project (Shire-Vec) two-year study has revealed that there is a potential for massive health problems of malaria and bilharzia coming with the Shire Valley Transformation Project (SVTP) in the lower Shire.
According to Principal Investigator for the project Themba Mzilahiwa, large irrigation schemes like SVTP are accompanied by health problems posed by the availability of water, thereby harbouring vectors (disease carriers) such as female anopheles mosquitoes and snails.
In the research of balancing agricultural development and health, Mzilahowa said snails survive well in vegetative-rich water in which the large canal is expected to provide a conducive environment for the flourishing of the vectors, leading to an increase in bilharzia prevalence. Moreover, he noted the changes in the way mosquitoes are biting people, saying they are being bitten outside the house before sleeping.
‘While aiming to alleviate hunger, there is also a need to have foresight on the health of the people. Therefore, the government should also prioritise the health of the people, Mzilahowa added.
The study found that 8 out of 10 learners at Mangulenje primary school in Chikwawa get infected with bilharzia, significantly impacting learners’ health and education before the operationalisation of the project. Vector-borne diseases like malaria are one of the leading fatal diseases in Malawi, requiring instant interventions by the government before and after the project becomes functional.
Following that, the study recommends twice mass drug administration to the community and schools, long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, killing the mosquito at an early stage (larval source management), increasing indoor residual spraying, social behaviour changes and integrated vector management.
The study was conducted in Chikwawa, sampling the community members surrounding the project, such as Fombe, Mangulenje and Mphampha villages.
By Mathews Kennedy
