Reversing the Rise: Community-Led Action Against Malaria in Mozambique
Mozambique is home to one of the largest Global Fund-supported malaria prevention projects, with World Vision Mozambique (WV-Moz) serving as one of the principal recipients. In commemoration of World Malaria Day, WV-Moz is highlighting efforts to combat one of the deadliest diseases in the country—particularly among children under five and pregnant women, who are the most vulnerable.
Despite a reported 14 percent increase in malaria cases in central Mozambique, including Tete Province in the first quarter of 2026, awareness sessions—such as those facilitated in Chiure District—are helping communities reverse this trend.
Mr. Osten, 62, is one of the community leaders in Chiure District who benefited from an awareness session conducted as part of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign.
Through these sessions, Osten developed a deeper understanding of malaria prevention and took action by raising awareness and mobilizing families to participate in the campaign.
Osten’s efforts proved critical to the success of the intervention. Under his leadership, strong community acceptance was achieved, with families opening their doors to health teams and allowing their children to receive preventive medication.
“Today, we see a clear difference. Children are protected and no longer show the frequent malaria symptoms we used to see,” says Osten.
As a result, the community demonstrated increased trust in health interventions, leading to near-full coverage of eligible children. This contributed to a significant reduction in suspected malaria cases among children, highlighting the direct impact of SMC in protecting child health.
Osten’s testimony underscores the importance of active community leadership in the success of public health interventions. The trust built between leaders and community members facilitated the uptake of SMC and ensured that more children were reached.
“Malaria is dangerous, but now we know it can be prevented. We must continue to protect our children.” shares Osten.
About Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC)
Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention is a preventive intervention targeting children aged 3 to 59 months. It involves the administration of antimalarial medicines during periods of high transmission. Implemented at the community level, the strategy relies on strong involvement from local leaders and has been proven to significantly reduce severe malaria cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among children.
World Vision Mozambique, as a principal recipient of the Global Fund-supported malaria prevention project, continues to strengthen community-level responses in close collaboration with the government, promoting access to prevention, treatment, and behavior change among the most vulnerable populations.