Synergy Against Endemicity: SSR PWK Weetabula Supports the Simultaneous Malaria Movement in Ana Engge Village

MALARIA PERDHAKI – SOUTHWEST SUMBA. Amid challenging weather conditions and high case numbers in endemic areas, the Southwest Sumba District Health Office officially launched the Simultaneous Malaria Movement (Gerakan Serempak Malaria/GSM). This large-scale initiative is focused on the Kodi region, which includes four sub-districts: Kodi, North Kodi, Kodi Bangedo, and Kodi Balaghar.

As a strategic partner of the government, SSR PWK Weetabula actively participated in supporting this movement, particularly in Ana Engge Village, within the service area of Kawango Hari Community Health Center (Puskesmas).

The action team in Ana Engge Village consisted of 32 members divided into six groups. The team included health workers and Village Malaria Workers (Juru Malaria Desa/JMD), led directly by the Head of Kawango Hari Health Center, Desy Natalia Ganggar, and the Malaria Program Officer, Andreas Dodok.

In addition to providing treatment, GSM also implemented upstream (environmental) and downstream (human) interventions. The activities included mass blood screening, vector surveillance, larvicide distribution, and mosquito net surveys.

Although Ana Engge Village had been hit by rain since early morning, the spirit of the team in the field remained strong. The Head of the Southwest Sumba District Health Office, drg. Yulianus Kaleka, expressed his highest appreciation for the dedication of the health workers and partners.

“We are very pleased that GSM continues despite the rainy weather. Interventions at breeding sites and simultaneous screening are crucial, especially in March, which is the peak of the rainy season,” said drg. Yulianus.

The Health Office hopes that if the number of cases in March can be significantly reduced, the opportunity to lower morbidity rates in the following months will become increasingly promising.

This initiative is part of the long-term strategy of Southwest Sumba District to achieve an Annual Parasite Incidence (API) target of below 1 by the end of 2026. Through cross-sector collaboration between the government, communities, and partners such as SSR PWK Weetabula, the dream of a malaria-free Southwest Sumba is now one step closer to becoming a reality.