A simple malaria response we can start in Umalulu

Ino and I were talking about what we could do now about malaria in Umalulu, and we kept coming back to the schools. We already have colourful posters that explain how to avoid mosquito bites, recognise possible signs of malaria and seek testing. We could start with a few schools.

On 12 November, MaxFM Waingapu reported that Rambu Hamueti Ndapanandjar of the East Sumba health office had identified 81 malaria infections among people who spend time at gold-panning sites, including 47 linked to Umalulu. These figures describe that group, and district data are still being checked. Separately, the Ministry of Health bulletin reported 1,644 confirmed cases across Nusa Tenggara Timur from the beginning of 2026 through epidemiological week 43. That is the total for the province.

We can print a small batch locally and take it on field visits we already make. A teacher or Kawan Sehat health worker could spend five minutes looking at the pictures with the children. What does a mosquito net do? Who do you tell if you have a fever? Where can your family go for a test? We can leave the poster where the children will see it every day. A small card or sticker with the same pictures could go home with them.

Before we go, I would check with Puskesmas Melolo where families can get tested and treated. On our next visit, we can ask the children what they remember. Their answers can help us decide which pictures and messages to take to the next school.

Support the printing of health posters in East Sumba · Read our previous field update on malaria.