Official Closing of successful Malaria Project

On Friday 23, ADRA STP held the official closing ceremony of the Project: “Social Marketing of ITN’s for Sao Tome and Principe”.
This ceremony was officially opened by R. Barrie Walkley, Ambassador of the United Stated of America to Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe, and closed by the Minister of Health, Arlindo Carvalho. Both interventions focused on the crucial role the use of mosquito nets have in the fight against Malaria and the importance this intervention had in the reduction of Malaria cases in the country.
The main project activities was the subsidized distribution of 22500 Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets and 31000 impregnation kits for the existing non insecticide treated nets, this distribution was made trough a commercial network of over 40 outlets covering the all country, and in 6 of the Public Health network 7 districts.
The project also educated on the higher risk groups and protective behaviors against malaria. Some of the methods used were: dramatized presentations in over 72 communities, community workshops in over 120 communities, and workshops for specific professional groups every two months for over 2 years, the production of thousands of informative posters, leaflets, booklets, bumper stickers, and mass media campaigns in the radio and TV.
The more striking results of the final evaluation survey, showed that beside the significant increase in knowledge on the importance of using Insecticidal nets and of the higher risk groups concerning malaria, the program was able to put mosquito nets in 52% of the households in the country and making 92% of the population informed on the importance of the use of Mosquito Nets and informed of the certified Long Lasting Mosquito net used by the program.
During this program ADRA STP was the local implementing organization partnered with PSI (http://www.psi.org/) and worked in close collaboration with the CNE (Ministry of Health Malaria Program). This project was funded by the United States Department of State through its Embassy in Libreville.

For more pictures of this project go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/adrast/SocialMarketingLongLastingInsecticidalNetsFightingMalaria

ADRA STP member of the ALC

ADRA Sao Tome and Principe Country Director, Emanuel Costa, returned Sunday 17th February from Kigali, Rwanda, where he attended the first ADRA Leadership Council (ALC).
Upon his return, Emanuel Costa, mentioned the importance of the opportunity given to ADRA STP to participate in this crucial event, which will contribute, to define the future of the international network up to 2012. ADRA will reinforce its positions as a high performance organization recognized for its high standard Community Development practices and its capacity to continue providing a rapid response in emergency situations.

For more information read the article “Rwanda President Attends Inaugural Session of ADRA Leadership Council” in www.adra.org:

http://www.adra.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr001=3shq57t6t1.app14b&page=NewsArticle&id=7529&news_iv_ctrl=1141

Forty-two Families

ADRA STP recently concluded forty-two latrines to benefit forty-two families in the community of Praia Melão. This investment in health and sanitation was possible through a US Embassy grant.
Praia Melão is situated at the south of the capital city of São Tomé and Principe and is mainly a fishing community. During the last country wide cholera outbreak, in Praia Melão alone were reported close to 4% of the total cases, accounting as one of the most affected communities in the country.
ADRA developed an adapted latrine due to the strong cultural resistance to use regular pit latrines. The ADRA latrines are provided with a water seal and are no longer called latrines but restrooms by the beneficiary families; many have improved their latrines with toilet seats or floor tiles.
Soon after the Cholera outbreak ADRA STP started to build these culturally adapted latrines in Praia Melão and the Community of Saudade. With the support of UNICEF, the Canadian Embassy and ADRA Portugal, more than 150 latrines have been constructed to date by ADRA since the Cholera Outbreack.
You can see more pictures of this program visiting our GALLERY (FIGHTING CHOLERA folder) at http://www.adra.st/