Melao's story

Melao is a Field Worker. It’s a key role in the malaria fight and involves managing a team of ‘Malaria Agents’ who deliver mosquito nets and malaria education to communities across Namibia, a country which has set an ambitious goal of eliminating malaria by 2020.

Melao suffered from malaria herself and although she had been given a mosquito net she’d had no information or advice on how to use it. So she packed it away and didn’t give it a second thought until she became very ill. She went to the hospital and remembers having a rapid diagnostic test which confirmed she had contracted malaria. It is this experience that fuelled Melao’s passion for education about malaria – she knows firsthand that mosquito nets are of no use if people don’t know how to use them!

Melao’s team of Malaria Agents give talks about malaria, distribute mosquito nets one home at a time with net hanging demonstrations and follow up to check people are using their nets properly and effectively. “It takes time to influence people’s mindsets and lifestyles but persistence pays off and it’s worth it. I see more and more people sleeping under mosquito nets now as they know they work and the importance of protecting yourself against malaria.”