DAR ES SALAAM, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania has recorded a decline in malaria infections among children under five years of age following intensified nationwide interventions, Minister for Health Mohamed Mchengerwa said Monday.
Preliminary findings from a nationwide survey showed malaria infections among children under five fell from 8.1 percent in 2022 to 5.5 percent in 2025, the minister told parliament in the capital, Dodoma.
Mchengerwa noted that the findings reflected the government's sustained efforts to strengthen malaria prevention, testing and treatment services nationwide.
The survey was conducted in all 184 local councils across the country to assess the prevalence of malaria among children under five and primary school pupils aged five to 16, Mchengerwa said while presenting the health ministry's budget estimates for the 2026/2027 financial year.
A total of 66,801 primary school pupils and 8,828 children under five were tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests to determine infection rates, Mchengerwa said.
Children found to be infected were treated with artemether-lumefantrine, commonly known as ALu, an anti-malaria medication widely used in Tanzania, he said.
Malaria remains a major public health challenge in Tanzania, particularly among pregnant women and children under five. ■
