Malaria remains a significant public health concern in Sierra Leone. Namely, children aged under five are particularly at risk. As of 2016, malaria contributed close to an estimated 20% of child mortality. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are vital to preventing deaths caused by malaria.

Two-year-old Maada Kpaka was one such child who was fortunate enough to be treated at Bo Children’s Hospital.

The baby of a family of five, young Maada was transported to Bo Children’s Hospital on the family’s motorbike. While this doesn’t sound like the most comfortable form of transport as a sick child, he was fortunate that his family owned something they could transport him on. Access to healthcare services is an ongoing challenge in Sierra Leone, and if your nearest hospital is 20km away, it can be much harder to get there if you have to walk!

On admission to the hospital, tests revealed that Maada had plasmodium falciparum. Of the five protozoa that cause malaria, this one is the predominant cause behind severe or fatal malaria. Fortunately for Maada, he was in good hands with the dedicated team at Bo Children’s Hospital who immediately gave him a transfusion. By the third day of his admission, blood tests showed a good improvement – and so did his appetite!

Maada showed strong improvements in the coming days; walking around and playing with other children was a good sign that he was ready to be discharged and head home. Upon departure, his family were given advice from the team at Bo Children’s Hospital about the use of mosquito bed nets – because the next best thing to treatment, is prevention!