SOS Children’s Villages UK and SOS Children’s Villages in Liberia combat malaria – providing free malaria treatment and vaccination to over 3,750 children in Liberia
1 in 10 children die before their fifth birthday from malaria each year in Liberia (UNICEF), but simple affordable measures can save more lives. Children who are 5 years old or younger are the most vulnerable to malaria and have the highest risk of dying from the disease.
Helena is a 9-year-old girl who lives in Barnesville, which is located on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia. She had been feeling sick for more than four weeks and was diagnosed with Malaria at the Medical Centre supported by SOS Children’s Villages. Helena’s parents were unable to afford the medical bills for her treatment but fortunately for Helena, she received treatment through the free malaria and vaccination program offered at the SOS Children’s Villages – supported Medical Centre in Liberia.
She is currently responding positively to the treatment and is on her way to full recovery. Helena is one of many children who benefitted from the free malaria treatment and vaccination program.
“The treatment has had a profound impact on Helena. She no longer suffers from the fevers, chills, and other symptoms of malaria that once overwhelmed her,” says Mercy Helena’s elder sister.
To combat malaria and reduce infection, last year, the SOS Children’s Villages–supported Medical Centre treated 215 children and administered vaccines to 3,512.
In 2023, SOS Children’s Villages launched a free malaria treatment and vaccination program in Liberia to combat malaria and other preventable diseases. The program is funded by SOS Children’s Villages UK and aims to provide improved malaria treatment and vaccinations to children aged 0 to 17 who have lost parental care or are at risk of losing it. The ultimate goal of the program is to eradicate malaria, thus improving the health and well-being of children in the country.
On February 5th, several children, including Helena, received free malaria treatment.
Helena’s sister, Mercy, expressed gratitude for the program and its positive effect on children, including her sister. “I was so worried that my sister was ill,” she said. Adding “I am happy to see that she is recovering gradually since she started receiving the treatment she needed. We are grateful to SOS Children’s Villages for providing these important services.”