Media professionals called to get involved in the fight against malaria in the DRC

Kinshasa, April 26^th, 2021 (CPA).– The Head of Communication Division at the National Malaria Control Program (PNLP), Michel Itabu Issa, on Friday sensitized media professionals at the headquarters of Sanru ASBL in Kinshasa to their role in the fight against all diseases, particularly in the fight against malaria in the DRC which is the leading cause of mortality, morbidity and medical consultations. This briefing for media professionals took place as part of World Malaria Day, which is commemorated on April 25^th of each year. The objective of this meeting is to roll back malaria through the media, to brief journalists on the theme chosen this year, namely « Zero malaria – Draw a line on malaria ». This theme is part of the sustainability of the action « Zero malaria cases like with me », which is an invitation to renounce malaria. The slogan adopted this year is inspiring: « I am committed to zero cases of malaria in my household ». According to Michel Itabu, journalists must play an important role in making the population aware of the danger of malaria, which is a slow disaster that kills children under 5 around the world every two minutes. According to Mr. Itabu Issa, media professionals must inform, train, educate and entertain. He recommended that they seek the right information from recognized sources, including WHO, the RBM (Roll Back Malaria) initiative, the Ministry of Health, the PNLP and partners involved in the fight against malaria. He recalled that the role of the media professional in this fight is to inform, raise awareness, educate the Congolese population more to surround themselves with preventive measures, direct any case of fever in health centers, and protect the pregnant woman by asking her to go to the antenatal clinic (ANC) and to spend every night under the insecticide-treated mosquito net. He also referred to environmental sanitation to fight mosquitoes. It is thanks to measures to improve living conditions that Europe has succeeded in defeating malaria, he said. Through this theme, we invite the head of household, individuals and communities to stop registering malaria cases in their households and homes.