Puppets bring malaria prevention messages to remote areas of Madagascar
| Jean Claude Rakotomalala, head of the Malagasy NGO Action Santé Organisation Secours, describes the puppet shows. |
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Puppets demonstrate the use and benefits of insecticide treated malaria nets.
The puppet shows are modeled on the local community in the local dialect
One story talks about a family where the child catches malaria, then the child’s parents are advised to take the child to hospital. When they get there, the doctor treating the child gives advice like: “You should use an insecticide treated mosquito net”. After using the treated net, the audience sees that the family sleeps really well and the child does not get malaria any more.
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In the most isolated villages in Madagascar, where roads are very bad or non-existent, puppet theatres performed by community members have proven highly effective in improving general knowledge about malaria. The puppet performances target mothers of young children to help them recognize the symptoms of malaria so that they can seek early treatment for their children if the disease is suspected.
“The puppeteers are locals. They are people we find in the villages, we recruit them and give them training. So they are communicating messages in the local dialects.”
With Global Fund support, the National Malaria Control Unit has given 45 groups of volunteers puppets and scenery and has taught them puppet movement techniques. Training is also given on the causes of malaria, modes of prevention and methods for turning those messages into dramatic stories.
The lively puppet shows are open to everyone. By the end of 2007, two-thirds of mothers have seen the shows and know the correct dose of treatment for children under five and how to treat older children if malaria is suspected.
In addition to puppets, movies are also used to educate villagers about insecticide treated nets. |
