Programs

Malaria Prevention Program

The People & Predators Fund is dedicated to improving both environmental and social health in rural areas of Tanzania. As part of our strategy to help build community capacity, we are developing a program to address the devastating risk of contracting malaria in our focal villages. 

Throughout Tanzania, malaria is the single greatest cause of death among adults and young children. Malaria is transmitted when a person is bitten by an Anopheles mosquito that has previously fed off of an infected person. According to the President’s Malaria Initiative, 93% of the Tanzanian population is considered at risk of contracting malaria from infected mosquitoes. Nearly 125,000 people die of malaria in Tanzania every year, including 80,000 children.

Nevertheless, simple measures can be taken to prevent exposure to the malaria-bearing mosquito. The most effective strategy is to eliminate nighttime contact with mosquitoes through the use of insecticide-treated nets. Families that utilize nets reduce their risk of being bitten by a mosquito and contracting malaria. By using the nets, family members also help to prevent the transmission of malaria to other individuals, while the insecticide in the net shortens the mosquito’s life span. Nevertheless, in rural Tanzania, only 8% of families have at least one insecticide-treated net in their home.

In 2004, the Tanzanian government, with support from the Global Fund, began an initiative to provide families with insecticide-treated nets. In support of this important scheme and recognizing that this initiative will take a number of years to reach many rural communities, PPF is now seeking funds to assist this initiative by making nets available in our focal villages.

Special, Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets can be purchased from a local Tanzanian textile company. These nets can last for 3-5 years without re-application of the insecticide; they were praised by TIME magazine as one of the best inventions of 2004. At the cost of $10 per net, the People & Predators Fund can purchase, distribute and educate local villagers on effective net usage for the long-term reduction of malaria and the protection of human life. In line with government policy, villagers will be asked to contribute less than $1 per net in order to motivate personal interest in the long-term care of the nets. These funds will then be reinvested in the program and utilized to purchase additional mosquito nets.

In order to protect our first focal village of Loibor Serrit, with a population of nearly 5000, the People & Predators Fund needs to raise at least $15,000 to ensure that at least every individual has an insecticidal net (it is expected that several people will sleep under one net).

programs

current
Livestock Predation

Conservation Education

Internships