{"id":61911,"date":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.psi.org\/?post_type=plusproject-posts&p=61911"},"modified":"2024-06-14T17:18:14","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T21:18:14","slug":"strength-in-unity-celebrating-international-womens-day-with-the-plus-project","status":"publish","type":"plusproject-posts","link":"https:\/\/www.psi.org\/fr\/plusproject-posts\/strength-in-unity-celebrating-international-womens-day-with-the-plus-project\/","title":{"rendered":"STRENGTH IN UNITY: CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN\u2019S DAY WITH THE PLUS PROJECT\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Luis Mahumane, Project Coordinator, PSI Mozambique; Elsa Nhantumbo, Country Lead, The Plus Project, PSI Mozambique; Allya Jussub, Empathy, Insights and Prototype Manager, PSI Mozambique; Malia Skjefte, Technical Advisor, Malaria, PSI; Charlotte Eddis, Director, The Plus Project, PSI<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

In the heart of Mozambique\u2019s Sofala province lies a remote village where Muzamusse Joaquim Luis and her family live. At just 22 months old, her youngest daughter Elisa is ready to receive her third dose of Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP), an effective and affordable medicine used to prevent malaria in pregnant women and infants. This intervention, known as Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC), is offered through the Unitaid-funded Plus Project, led by Population Services International (PSI). PMC is administered to children at routine healthy child consultations alongside vaccinations, vitamin A supplementations, deworming medicine, and micronutrient powders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each month, Muzamusse, with Elisa happily on her shoulders, travels several kilometers alongside friends and neighbors on foot to the nearest health facility in Guara Guara. She makes this trek to monitor the health and growth of her daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This unified journey not only provides community and safety for the mothers during their walk but instills a sense of collective commitment for them to return to the facility for each follow-up visit. After walking for four hours, the mothers and their children arrive at Guara Guara health facility for their appointments. Nurse Zuaguma Salom\u00e9 checks Elisa for PMC eligibility \u2014 including any medical conditions that may prevent treatment \u2014 before providing her with the third dose of SP. Muzamusse and nurse Salom\u00e9 discuss returning for the fourth and final dose the following month and the importance of sleeping under a protective bed net at night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Muzamusse Joaquim Luis and her two daughters at their home in the Sofala Province, Mozambique.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Mother Muzamusse and daughter Elisa on the road to the Guara Guara health facility in Mozambique.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Muzamusse, along with other mothers in Sofala, making their monthly journey to the Guara Guara health facility to have their children receive routine vaccinations and other health services, such as SP for PMC.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Muzamusse, along with other mothers in Sofala, making their monthly journey to the Guara Guara health facility to have their children receive routine vaccinations and other health services, such as SP for PMC.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nurses like Zuaguma Salom\u00e9 are essential to reaching households throughout the Sofala province, providing mothers like Muzamusse with life-saving knowledge to care for themselves and their families. The dedication of the health facility staff ensures that every step a mother takes towards her child\u2019s well-being is a contribution towards healthier communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am going home happy because I saw my child receive treatment to prevent malaria.\u201d Muzamusse shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her monthly journey highlights the resilience and determination of mothers striving to safeguard their children\u2019s health from deadly diseases like malaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe choose to protect ourselves against malaria because the hospital is far from our community. We take hygiene seriously and keep the environment clean. We cut long grass and use mosquito nets at night to prevent malaria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Nurse Zuaguma Salom\u00e9 administering SP for PMC to baby Elisa at the Guara Guara health facility.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
The group of mothers walking back home to Sofala province after visiting the Guara Guara health facility.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Muzamusse and her family sleeping under an insecticide treated net (ITN) to protect them from malaria.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the footsteps of mothers like Muzamusse echo through Sofala\u2019s villages, it becomes evident that the impact of the Plus Project extends beyond the individual journeys. It is a collective effort, a ripple effect of unity and education. This International Women\u2019s Day, join us in celebrating the resilience and strength of women like Muzamusse, nurse Salom\u00e9, and the countless others who champion health and well-being in their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n