In a remote rural village of Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Region, Mg Aye (name has been changed), a young farmer in his mid-twenties, has always been committed to his family’s livelihood. Working tirelessly from dawn to dusk in the paddy fields, Mg Aye experienced malaria for the first time in his life in 2022.
It began with a high fever, chills and overwhelming fatigue. Mg Aye tried to push through, believing it a common illness or exhaustion from a long day’s work. “At first, I thought it was just a usual fever. But then the headaches and muscle pains started, and I knew something was wrong,” he recalled.
When his symptoms worsened, his family grew worried and took him to the Integrated Community Malaria Volunteer (ICMV) in their village. Having learned the symptoms through health education conducted by the volunteer, his mother assumed that he was suffering from malaria.
His mother, Daw Myint (name has been changed), had attended multiple health education sessions organized by the Integrated Community Malaria Volunteer. These sessions covered a wide range of topics, including the identification of malaria symptoms, the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, and methods of preventing mosquito bites. She learned that malaria often presents with high fever, chills, headaches and muscle pains, and that quick action is crucial to prevent severe complications.
Ayeyarwady has the fourth highest malaria burden among all states and regions in Myanmar. According to studies, although the region has made significant progress toward malaria elimination, cases are becoming increasingly focalized both in geographic hotspots and among population groups sharing certain risk factors. The three highest-burden townships in the region are Ngaputaw, Pathein and Thabaung, which share similar topography in vegetation and forest cover levels.
To tackle the problem in the area, one of the Sub-recipients of UNOPS Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC), through the Global Fund grant, is implementing a project to ensure that malaria cases receive quality-assured early diagnosis and standard treatment in accordance with national malaria treatment guidelines, thus halting the transmission of malaria. The project aims to improve early access to quality diagnosis and effective standard treatment of malaria (early diagnosis and effective treatment – EDET).
The project trained and supported malaria volunteers like Daw Sandar to reduce onward transmission of malaria. Daw Sandar is well known in her community for her dedication to fighting malaria. When Mg Aye visited her to seek help, she swiftly arranged for a rapid diagnostic test, which confirmed Mg Aye’s malaria infection.
Once Mg Aye was diagnosed with malaria, he was given medicine right away. The next few days were tough as he experienced severe malaria symptoms, but his family and Daw Sandar supported him.
Daw Sandar visited Mg Aye daily to check on him and ensure he followed his treatment. "The support and encouragement from the volunteer were crucial. Knowing someone was watching over my recovery gave me the strength to keep fighting," Mg Aye said.
Over the next few weeks, Mg Aye gradually got better. His fevers went away and he started to regain his strength. His recovery was a personal victory and showed how effective community health programs can be. With the support of the Global Fund, the Sub-recipient of UNOPS ARHC played a critical role in saving his life.
Now fully recovered, Mg Aye is back to working on his family farm. His experience with malaria has made him a strong advocate for awareness. "I want to help others understand the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. We need to support each other to keep our community healthy," he said.
Mg Aye’s journey shows how important community health programs and collective efforts are in overcoming challenges. His story is about more than surviving malaria; it is about the strength of the community, the need for timely intervention, and the hope for a healthier future for everyone.
