The Vice Mayor of Nyagatare District in charge of Social Affairs affirms that the strategies implemented such as increasing the number of community health workers treating malaria have started to yield results in the district, which is among those with the highest number of malaria cases in Rwanda.
Data from the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) shows that in February 2025, Nyagatare District ranked sixth nationally in terms of the number of malaria cases, with 4,810 people affected. Of these, 3,211 about 66.7% were treated by community health workers.
Nyagatare District’s Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Juliet Murekatete, explained that one of their key strategies to fight malaria involved training all four community health workers in each village, enabling them to provide early malaria treatment and raise awareness about prevention.
She said:“Previously, although we had four health workers per village, only two were treating malaria. Now, with support from RBC, all four have been trained to treat malaria, and this has started to yield results—both in reducing the number of malaria cases and increasing the number of patients treated by community health workers.”
According to Murekatete, in March 2025, the district recorded 4,665 malaria cases. Of these, 3,194 about 68.4% were treated by community health workers. Compared to the previous month, malaria cases dropped by 145, representing a 3% decrease, while those treated by health workers increased by 1.7%.
Entire Household to be tested if one member has malaria
Epaphrodite Habanabakize, a malaria control officer at RBC, explained that a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite can transmit it to multiple members of the same household.
He said:“It is possible that your family members may be carrying malaria parasites without showing symptoms. That’s why the new approach is: if a health worker or doctor finds malaria in one person, the entire household should be tested, and those found to have the parasite even without symptoms will be treated.”
He urged Rwandans to remain vigilant in observing malaria prevention measures, including sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets, spraying insecticides, and following other preventive strategies.
Some community health workers in Nyagatare District have committed themselves to eradicating malaria, thanks to training provided in collaboration with the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), which has equipped them with more advanced knowledge than they previously had.Community health workers are pleased to have gained additional knowledge.
Starting from April 22, 2025, a three-day training is being conducted in Nyagatare District, bringing together community health workers from 13 villages in the sectors of Ndama, Nyagashanga, and Nyamirama. Each village is represented by four community health workers who are receiving training on how to fight malaria.
Jean Marie Maniradukunda, a community health worker from Nyamirama 2 village, Nyamirama Cell in Karangazi Sector, said:
“We have gained more knowledge than we had before on how to fight malaria. They trained us and increased our knowledge in identifying the breeding and hiding places of mosquitoes that cause malaria.” We are now ready to use this knowledge to fight malaria in our district with full commitment.”
Another community health worker, David Ingabire, added:
“We are going to encourage residents to clear stagnant water and cut bushes. If one person in a household is diagnosed with malaria, we will test the entire family and treat anyone found to have the disease.”
RBC statistics show that across the entire country of Rwanda in 2024, malaria cases increased by 200,000 compared to 2023, rising from 600,000 to 800,000 cases.
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