"It was October. The roads were impassable. We knew my brother had malaria. But it just kept raining. No way to use a taxi or bike, the roads were impassable. We took turns carrying him. Sometimes we sank to our waists in the mud; it took two days. But when we arrived at the main road he had died... He was a gentle man, a lot of fun. Whenever there was a party he was always invited."
All efforts to provide medication and care for malaria are for naught if they are not accessible to the patients. In most malaria endemic countries the roads and walking paths are not paved, or are in poor repair. They are particularly unreliable during heavy rains. As a result, it can be very difficult to secure safe passage to the nearest hospital which could be tens or even hundreds of miles away. It is essential to have available health care in the villages hardest hit by malaria. Professionals must be trained to correctly diagnose the illness early and administer the proper medications. Many malaria-endemic countries are doing just this. The challenge is maintaining funding for these localized initiatives.
