By Alfred Sasako
THE Honiara Rotary Club is $100,000 richer – thanks to the Solomon Forest Association (SFA), which has supported the on-going “Rotarian Against Malaria” programme for the last three years.
Director of Rotary International Services, Wayne Morris, received the payment from SFA’s vice president, Johnny Sy at a brief ceremony at the SFA Office in Honiara on Wednesday.
Other Executive members of the SFA Board also attended the ceremony.
The payment completes SFA’s three-year sponsorship of the program at the cost of $300,000.
The programme has been credited with reducing the incidences of malaria in at least 140 communities throughout Solomon Islands.
Mr Morris said the Honiara Rotary Club works with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in the fight against malaria.
He said communities, through the Ministry of Health and Medical Services received tools such as brush knives, shovels and so on which are used to drain out stagnant water which mosquitos use as breeding grounds.
He said one of the success stories in the Rotarian Against Malaria programme is Isabel province, which is about to be declared the first malaria-free province in Solomon Islands.
Morris said the financial support by SFA over the last three years is a major contributing factor to the success of the programme, which also received Rotary funding from Australia.
SFA’s vice president Sy said the organisation is pleased to be part of a programme, which fights a common enemy in mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
SFA has already indicated support for the next project – a trailer for a mobile blood bank being set up at the National Referral Hospital. It will be run by Red Cross.
