Community Health Workers Empowered to Lead Malaria Fight in Nyagatare

The Nyagatare District administration said it has intensified efforts to train all community health workers in malaria prevention and treatment in response to the disease’s high prevalence in the region.

Statistics from the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) show that in February 2025, Nyagatare District ranked sixth nationwide in the number of malaria cases, recording 4,810 cases. Of these, 3,211—equivalent to 66.7%—were treated by community health workers.

Juliet MUREKATETE, Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs in Nyagatare District, explained that one of the key strategies to combat malaria involved training all four community health workers in each village, enabling them to both treat patients and raise awareness among residents.

“We already had them, but only two were able to provide treatment,” Murekatete said. “So what we did, in collaboration with RBC, was train all four of them so that they could also treat malaria.”

She emphasized that this measure is already showing results, with both a decrease in malaria cases and an increase in the number of patients treated by community health workers.

“In March 2025, we recorded 4,665 malaria cases. Of these, 3,194—or about 68.4%—were treated by community health workers,” she said. “Compared to the previous month, malaria cases dropped by 145, which is a 3% decrease, while those treated by community health workers increased by 1.7%.”

MUREKATETE noted that these figures point to a positive trend. “The data indicates positive change,” she affirmed.

Community health workers who have undergone the training say they are now better equipped and more motivated to tackle malaria in their communities. The training, provided in collaboration with RBC, has given them advanced knowledge that enhances their ability to respond effectively.

“We have gained more knowledge than we had before on how to fight malaria,” said David INGABIRE, a community health worker from Nyamirama Cell in Karangazi Sector. “They trained us and increased our knowledge in identifying the breeding and hiding places of mosquitoes that cause malaria. We are now ready to use this knowledge to fight malaria in our district with full commitment.”

He added, “We are going to encourage residents to clear stagnant water and cut bushes. If one person in a household is diagnosed with malaria, we will test the entire family and treat anyone found to have the disease.”

Among other strategies employed by the Nyagatare District administration is the establishment of a malaria task force. This group visits households door-to-door to educate residents on malaria prevention measures and encourage adherence to guidelines.

The district also receives daily updates on malaria cases and holds weekly meetings to review the data and take timely action.