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New Generations, Old Challenges: Questioning Grassroots Development in the Horn of Africa
JOURNAL OF YOUTH RESEARCHES
The people in these neighborhoods have long been threatened by malaria, TB, trachoma
and bilharzias in addition to other water-borne diseases. And due to the geographi-
cal and climatic features of the area, there are widespread cases of malaria throughout
the three neighborhoods. In this regard, Dobba area is the most affected as it stretches
down to the desert connecting the Gibbe river (HOARCM14, 23/04/11). There have been
attempts by the kebele health posts to assist prevention efforts by distributing special
malaria trapping nets, Agobers.
Normally, we attempt to contribute to prevention of malaria. We distribute ‘Agobers’
to those who are at most risk. We do not have medicines, we commonly send
victims to Weyra health centers when they come already infected (HOARCM45,
25/04/11).
For years, malaria is frequently reported as a major public health problem in Ethiopia. In
2011, about two-thirds of the population was at risk of malaria (Loha & Lindtjorn, 2012:
450). The 2007 national malaria indicator survey shows the prevalence rate of 0.7% and
0.3% for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria, respectively; the domi-
nant vector is Anopheles arabiensis (2012: 450).
The types of malaria widespread in these areas are Falciparum and Vivax, and
these types aggravate suddenly any point of a time. Victims need to go to clinic.
But then as there are no assigned health practitioners for the night, victims have no
choice but already forced to withstand at home (HOARCM20, 23/04/11).
This level of medication effort cannot reduce health related complications in these rural
communities. The foremost limitation is that health post workers are too limited (only two
in each kebeles) that they can never reach even a quarter of households in the communi-
ties. As well, they are not able to serve in late evenings and the night. “They give first aids
and sometimes delivery. However, they do not have pays even when they are kind enough
to continue to work till late evenings” (HOARCM16, HOARCM31, 23/04/11).
The community members are not that experienced and determined to come to seek ad-
vice from experts. This worsened their awareness, specially of the prevention of malaria.
And when they come already affected by malaria, the health posts have no resource
capacity to prescribe pills. Therefore, patients must be carried to the distant health center
at Woyra, which has also several limitations with regard to permanent medication and
follow ups.
There is some improvement in the people’s sanitation skills year by year. Many com-
munity members have built latrines. Hundreds of mothers have received trainings.
In this year, about 236 mothers attended a one-week training on environmental and
home-sanitation affairs. Certainly yet, there are frequent cases of malaria, typhus
and diarrhea emergent in the neighborhoods (HOARCM31, 23/04/11).
