The Captivating Journey of Fasseni and Anicete

"More than just a job; it was their way of contributing to their community"

November 19, 2024

a man standing in front of a building — Anicete holding the malaria preventive medicines at Dara School

UNDP Guinea Bissau/Anesu Freddy

Fasseni walks the dusty, sunny paths of Cumuda village in Bafata with a quiet pride. For him, being a Community Health Workers is more than a job — it is a way to give back to his community. As he approaches Malam’s house, Fasseni recounts memories of friends and family lost to malaria in the past.
Today, however, Fasseni has a symbol of hope in his rucksack. He is visiting every household of his village to distribute a malaria preventive treatment to every children below 10.
Fasseni finds Malam sitting on the balcony with his five-year-old son Alficene. After ensuring that Alficene has no fever, Fasseni hands over the last dose of Alficene’s three-day malaria preventive treatment, Malam gently administers it to his son, with calm and sure movements. For Fasseni, this scene represents the resilience of the village — a father, a son, a silent act of protection.

a man sitting on a bench talking on a cell phone — Malam and his son Alficene

UNDP Guinea Bissau/Anesu Freddy

At the same time, 50 kilometres from Cumuda, in the village of Dara, Gabu, in Eastern Guinea Bissau, Anicete walks purposefully towards Dara primary school. The classrooms are full of pupils.
Anicete is a trained volunteer mobilized during the annual seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign. She is also a primary school teacher and uses her role to reach as many children as possible. In her classes, she explains the importance of health prevention and how this medicine can protect them from malaria. Most children have already received the treatment at home, but the ones who did not, can receive it today in the school courtyard with their parent’s consent. Anicete is following up every child of her village. For her, this campaign is more than a series of doses; it is a commitment to the future of Dara’s children.

a group of people looking at the camera — Children at Dara School — UNDP Guinea Bissau/Anesu Freddy

UNDP Guinea Bissau/Anesu Freddy

What do Fasseni, and Anicete have in common?

Fasseni and Anicete are among the 2600 Community Health Agents and volunteers trained and mobilized for the annual Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention campaign in Guinea Bissau. They are committed to protect the children of their communities.
Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a public health intervention recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with the aim of reducing the incidence of malaria in sub-Saharan African countries. This strategy involves the regular administration of anti-malarial drugs to children, who are the most vulnerable to severe malaria and its complications.
The malaria chemoprevention campaign is carried out during the rainy season when malaria transmission peaks due to increased mosquito breeding. The drugs are administered in four campaign rounds (one round per month): in August, September, October and November. Each round lasts six days.
During the campaign, teams of two trained volunteers consisting of a community health agent and another community member visit households in their communities to administer the medication directly to the children. This approach ensures high coverage and adherence to the treatment regime. Each team has a register to document the children who have been treated.
As Fasseni packs away his rucksack in Cumuda, he reflects on the campaign’s significance. Recent study has shown that the national malaria prevalence decreased from 6.4 per cent to 3.1 per cent between 2020 and 2023. The prevalence was calculated on a sample of 10,000 people, including 4,300 children under five, Malam’s son Alficene was one of them.
In Bafata, Anicete makes a final entry on the last of her pupils’ card in Bafata, relieved that her class has received all doses of the four rounds of the malaria chemoprevention campaign. These pupils were among the 250,000 children under 10 years old targeted in the four most malaria-prone regions: Bafata, Bolama, Gabu and Tombali.

In Guinea Bissau, the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention campaign is supported by UNDP, with Global Fund financing and led by the National Malaria Control programs and the regional health directorates. The campaign cost approximately 1 million euros per year.