Adrien Sonko regional head of public health

This morning we have already received 40 patients. "14 Hours, under the large heat of early October, Dr. Thierno Seye takes a look at the book of the consultations. The box of Nguinguinea health has yet made the full. In this village near Dakar live close to 600 people, and some 2,000 live within a radius of 2 kilometres. The health check is African Bush medicine database tool. "It is the closest level of rural populations," adds Thierno Seye. Two pieces, a bed of review, Office, and a Cabinet whose content is in a box shoes. Door step, no water, no power. On the walls, posters in French boast of vaccination and provide basic hygiene advice. In principle, a consultation ticket costs 50 CFA francs (i.e. 7.5 eurocents). Here, the scourge, it is malaria. At a time where developed countries are the billions invested against the flu, Senegal is developing its network of health cases to defend against malaria.

Nguinguinea is a bambara village in the heart of the country. From the delightful Tambacounda airport, it takes three quarters of an hour of roads and trails. In an area of 40,000 square kilometres, there are nearly 1,300 villages. "More than 60 of the families live in more than one hour of a health structure." "But, during the rainy season, which lasts four to five months, the road network is impracticable and populations are very isolated", says Dr. Adrien Sonko, regional head of public health. In Senegal, malaria is the enemy public number one. "It is the first cause of death." "In 2006, we recorded a million and a half of cases", non-governmental Intrahealth adds Rodio Diallo of the organization based in Dakar.

With the help of the U.S. laboratory Pfizer, this small NGO attempts to curb an epidemic that faces many obstacles: lack of resources, shortage of staff and wards, popular beliefs. Program: distribution of anti-malarial drugs, donations of ITNs and therapeutic education campaigns. "The Peul pastoralists believe that malaria is derived from corn and milk consumption." "They find it difficult to imagine that the mosquito is responsible for", adds Thierno Seye.

1 dollar per day or less

To overcome this scourge that affects mainly the tropical belts of Africa, Pfizer is working on a new drug combination (azithromycin and chloroquine) for pregnant women and children less than 5 years. The industrial pushed its practices by entrusting the development of the molecule in an Indian laboratory, Medcure Pharma. "An internal study has shown us that we were not competitive to produce a drug for developing countries." "We mean a price of $ 1 a day and we started to negotiate with the Foundation Bill Clinton, who will take care of the distribution," said Pol Vandenbroucke, Vice-President of the division dedicated to emerging markets.

A Nguinguinea, the head of the village and the imam stand under the tree to talk. "You can't do anything without health and hygiene," said the imam. Almost all children wear a T-shirt for one of these footballers African stars of the big European clubs: Cissé and Drogba are the idols of youth. A little later, the young Fatou, eight years, went to the box of health with her mother. She is feverish: more than 41 C. Thierno Seye pressing a problem. "We're going to do a test."The child is extended. It bites the tip of his index to take a drop of blood. The diagnosis takes five minutes. It is positive. "It is malaria." We are going to give him of paracetamol and him do a cold compress. "Is Asperger's clothes with water, evaporation cools the body. "An old technique to bring down the fever", indicates the Senegalese doctor. This evening, Fatou will begin treatment to ACT to stem its first crisis. A combination of artemisinin drugs which has been proven. "It deals with a person with 750 CFA francs", said Dr. Seye. In principle, it will be cured within three days.