Malaria is a preventable and curable disease yet continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives every year—mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Discover how a Sierra Leone Red Cross Society volunteer helped save a baby boy from malaria, and how the IFRC is working to tackle the disease around the world.

Baindu Momoh is a mother from Gbaigibu in Kailahun district, eastern Sierra Leone. Her village is so small and remote it doesn’t show up on most maps—but that doesn’t stop the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society from looking out for the health of her community.

In October 2023, Baindu came rushing to her local Red Cross volunteer, Joseph. Something was deeply wrong. Her baby boy, Senesie, had a fever, was sweating and vomiting, and had a puffy face and eyes. Baindu feared for his life.

Thankfully, Joseph is part of the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) and is trained in how to detect, report, and respond to disease threats—meaning he knew exactly what to do.

“I have established strong relationships with both the health facility and the community. When the child’s mother reached out to me in distress, I immediately recognized the urgency of the situation,” explains Joseph.

In the absence of timely local ambulance services, Joseph rushed Baindu and her baby on his motorbike to the nearest Community Health Post in Woroma, where Senesie was diagnosed with severe malaria and anaemia. Baindu was told that, to survive, Senesie needed an urgent blood transfusion—only available at the Kailahun Government Hospital, some 30 miles away.

Without hesitation, Joseph offered to help, explaining:

“As a trained volunteer with a humanitarian organization, my community is my responsibility.”

But in this part of the world, getting to the hospital is easier said than done. 

On his motorbike, with Baindu and Senesie on the back, Joseph embarked on the long, bumpy road to Kailahun—carefully navigating the treacherous terrain and crossing rivers along the way. Thankfully, they arrived safely and Senesie was quickly treated by hospital staff. 

“Since I could help, I couldn’t let him die. So I made the decision to pay for the treatment because the parents couldn’t afford the cost,” explains Joseph.

Thanks to Joseph’s quick action and support, Senesie made a full recovery from malaria. After a week in hospital, Baindu and Senesie returned to their home in Gbaigibu. Joseph continues to check in on them to make sure they’re doing well.

“Joseph risked his life to save my son’s. Upon reaching the Kailahun Government Hospital, he paid for a blood transfusion that the medical practitioners had recommended. To me, Joseph is a true lifesaver who helped us in our time of need,” says Baindu.

Baindu isn’t the only person in Gbaigibu to be supported by Joseph. He regularly engages people in his community on how to prevent, detect, and respond to diseases—such as malaria, measles, and yellow fever—so they can stay healthy and safe.

Fomba Lamin, head of the Woroma Community Health Post, feels Joseph plays an invaluable role in encouraging village members to seek health support.

“We thank the CP3 programme, it is improving our referral rate. Community members we refer in the past did not go to Kailahun for obvious reasons: the means of transportation. But with people such as Joseph, who encourage our people to seek health care in Kailahun, we see the reduction of death in our community,” says Fomba.

Although malaria is preventable and treatable, the death toll from the disease remains high for children under 5 and pregnant women, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach communities. 

Key challenges to controlling malaria include a lack of reliable access to health services and prevention supplies, a decrease in global funding for malaria, and a widespread and increasing rise in insecticide resistance in malaria-endemic countries. 

Recent innovations, such as the approval from WHO of new insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) to address insecticide resistance and two new malaria vaccines for children, are positive steps to tackling the disease. 

Through programmes like CP3, the IFRC is supporting Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide to plan and deliver high-quality malaria prevention activities, such as:

Supporting ministries of health and their partners to plan and implement distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets through mass campaigns or continuous distribution channels. 
Administering preventive treatment to children as part of seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaigns.
Promoting individual preventive practices through social and behaviour change activities to encourage people to sleep under a bed net every night of the year, seek prompt and early healthcare in case of fever or malaria-related symptoms, and attend antenatal care for malaria prevention.

This story from Sierra Leone is a great example of how National Societies are supporting communities to prevent and seek treatment for malaria, encouraging them to implement practices that will protect them from the disease, and improving their access to health care—even in remote and isolated communities.

The IFRC also houses and chairs the Alliance for Malaria Prevention, a global partnership that supports ministries of health and their financial and implementing partners with the planning and implementation of ITN distribution, primarily through mass campaigns. ITNs remain the most effective tool to protect at-risk communities from malaria. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

As part of ongoing U.S. government negotiations with the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP), U.S. Ambassador to Niger Kathleen FitzGibbon and Major General Kenneth Ekman, Director of Strategy, Engagement and Programs for U.S. Africa Command, will meet with CNSP officials in Niamey on April 25 to initiate discussions on an orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger. In the week of April 29, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict Christopher Maier and Lieutenant General Dag Anderson, the Director for Joint Force Development, Joint Staff, will hold follow up meetings in Niamey to coordinate that withdrawal process with transparency and mutual respect.

The United States is proud of the security cooperation and shared sacrifice of U.S. forces and Nigerien forces, a partnership which effectively contributed to stability in Niger and the region. Amid discussion underway since July 2023, we have been unable to reach an understanding with the CNSP to continue that security cooperation in a manner that addresses the needs and concerns of each side. The United States welcomes CNSP interest in maintaining a strong bilateral relationship. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell will travel to Niamey in the coming months to discuss ongoing collaboration in areas of joint interest. The United States reaffirms our support for the Nigerien people as they combat terrorism, develop the country’s economy, and transition to democratic rule.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Niger.

Kinshasa, April 25, 2024: More than 20 years after their arrival in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are preparing to leave the country. The contingent has constituted the bulk of the UN’s troops deployed in South Kivu province and their important contributions to peace consolidation and security was recognized during a tribute ceremony today.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) in the DRC and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Ms. Bintou Keita, MONUSCO’s Force Commander a.i. Major General Khar Diouf, the South Kivu provincial minister of Infrastructures and representative of the interim governor, Mr. Cissa wa Numbe, the Government Delegate General in charge of liaison with MONUSCO, Ambassador Noel Mbemba, participated in the ceremony today in Kavumu, 32 km from Bukavu. The departure of the Pakistani contingent is part of MONUSCO’s disengagement plan from the DRC, initiated in early January 2024.

Since 2003, when they were first deployed, more than 100 000 Pakistani Peacekeepers have served in South Kivu and 31 have died in the line of duty. For Pakistan that’s the greatest number of Blue Helmets they have lost in the 46 Peacekeeping missions in the 29 countries where they have been deployed.

“I pay tribute to the immense contribution the troops from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have made to advancing peace and security in South Kivu. I honour the 31 Blue Helmets who have paid the ultimate price. Over the years, their sacrifice, professionalism, and commitment have helped protect millions of people in DRC”, the head of MONUSCO said.

The Pakistani troops have been engaged in military operations aimed at protecting civilians and maintaining peace and security in South Kivu. In 2017, together with the Armed Forces of the DRC, the Pakistani contingent stopped a coalition of armed groups from taking over the city of Uvira. In 2018, they pushed back an offensive by armed groups in the Hauts Plateaux of Uvira, protecting more than 120 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Over the years, the Pakistani Peacekeepers have protected millions of IDPs, many of whom have established camps around their bases.

“MONUSCO is handing over the responsibility of ensuring security and the physical protection of civilians to the defence and security forces of DRC, who will continue to undertake this responsibility in close coordination with community and other local leaders. According to the disengagement plan, in parallel with the withdrawal of UN troops, the government will increase its presence in the areas the Mission is vacating at its request”, Ms Bintou Keita concludes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).

In a significant shift in infrastructure strategy, the government will now have renewed focus on the maintenance of existing roads over construction of new ones.

This decision comes amidst reduced allocations of funds and inadequate releases, which have led to a substantial maintenance backlog in the road network across the country.

The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala in a statement to Parliament on Wednesday, 24 April 2024, emphasised the need to prioritise maintenance to preserve and protect the existing road assets.

“This has created a significant maintenance backlog that shall necessitate increased focus on maintenance of the paved road network,” he said.

Katumba Wamala said Increased allocation of resources in the National Development Plan (NDP) IV is crucial to preserving road assets and expanding the road infrastructure stock.

He blamed this on the reduction in resources which has delayed key interventions planned under NDPIII including upgrades to support tourism, oil and gas activities and congestion relief in urban areas.

The NDP III period saw plans for road development, with over 3,500KM of new roads earmarked for upgrading and the construction of strategic bridges.

According Gen. Katumba Wamala, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic shocks, led to a drastic reduction in funding for infrastructure projects.

“Allocations for road development dropped significantly, affecting both domestically funded and externally funded projects. The pandemic disrupted construction activities and land acquisition processes further hampering project implementation,” he added.

Despite these challenges, the Works Minister revealed that the government managed to achieve some success in road development.

“By June 2023, 750KM of national roads had been upgraded to paved standard, albeit falling short of the target of 1,500KM,” he said.

Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has carried forward debts of Shs215 billion, Shs471 billion, and Shs629 billion respectively, for the last three financial years in the NDP III period.

“Rising cost of construction especially after Covid-19 has led to an increase in key road construction and maintenance inputs such as bitumen, steel, timber and fuel thus increasing the costs of operation,” Katumba Wamala added.

On the Kampala – Jinja Expressway, the minister said that government needs over Shs236 billion to pay the project affected persons adding that right of way will be acquired by the end of December 2024 for section 1 and 2, and section 3 by December 2025.  He revealed that road construction works are expected to start in December 2025.

The Speaker, Anita Among gave an assurance that Parliament will support the allocation of funds to the ministry for  since roads infrastructure is key for development.

“We are going to make sure we prioritise your sector. The number of people who have died due to accidents are so many, ” Among said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.