Mortein Doom brings the fight against Malaria to the internet in #WipeOutMalaria campaign

Mortein Doom is for the third week running, engaging the online audience to join the fight against malaria, under the hash tag #WipeOutMalaria. The online campaign primarily targets expectant women and mothers with children under the age of 5.

The campaign will continue for two more weeks, rallying expectant women to take pictures of their baby bumps and using the hash tag #WipeOutMalaria, share them online. The participant with the most re-tweets and / or Facebook likes will walk away with a fabulous, assorted gift hamper from Reckitt Benckiser, before the end of the campaign.

While speaking during an environmental clean-up session, held last Friday, around the Kenyatta market area, Reckitt Benckiser Country Manager, Sachin Varma, noted that use of reputable household sprays such as  Mortein Doom, combined with use of mosquito nets, and employing simple tactics such as draining stagnant water and slashing overgrown grass, are key to preventing malaria.

In support of the goal to achieve a malaria free country, Mortein Doom, has for the third year, partnered with the Ministry of Health, a re-affirmation of its commitment to support the government’s initiatives to fight malaria in the country.

The partnership with the Ministry of health, supported by this strategic social media campaign, comes in the wake of a report released by the government, indicating that the reported cases of malaria have dropped by half, attributed to more Kenyans embracing preventive measures. The Ministry of Health further revealed that more than 70 per cent of Kenyans remain at risk of malaria, which still kills up to 11,000 people every year.

While commenting on the partnership, Reckitt Benckiser (RB) Country Manager, Sachin Varma noted that Mortein Doom is keen to support the government in achieving the World Health Assembly targets for 2015 , which calls on countries globally to reduce incidences of malaria by 75%.

“As a company focused on healthier lives for people, we believe that it is part of our mandate to be actively involved in promoting the achievement of health related goals in Kenya. Our strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Health and implementation of initiatives around World Malaria Day, is a clear demonstration of our commitment. We have also run community sensitization campaigns geared at spreading the message that malaria is preventable through simple tactics such as draining stagnant water and slashing overgrown grass.” Noted  Mr. Varma.

The World Health Organization (WHO) statistics released in December 2014, estimate that there were about 198 million cases of malaria in 2013 and an estimated 584, 000 deaths.

Further, WHO indicates that most malaria cases and deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a child dies every minute from malaria. According to the WHO, malaria mortality rates among children in Africa have been reduced by an estimated 58% since the year 2000.

The campaign also offers helpful tips on how to control any malarial infections:

• Never take anti-malarial drugs unless prescribed after testing positive, especially with conditions such as pregnancy.

• Everyone is at risk of getting Malaria, expectant mothers and children below 5 years of age are at a higher risk due to their low immunity.

• If you experience symptoms like fever, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, chills and flu you should go get tested.

• Always follow and finish prescribed medication.