‘The fight is not over’: Music against malaria

Malaria is a global emergency that affects mostly poor women and children. It perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty in the developing world and malaria-related-illnesses and mortality cost Africa’s economy $12bn per year.

The Lifelines team met up with three Tanzanian musicians at the Tanzania House of Talent (THT) in Dar es Salaam, where they were recording a malaria spot for a radio and mobile phone campaign.

They aim “to spread a message to all citizens to teach them to protect themselves from malaria,” Amini Mwinyi Mkuu, one of the group, said.

“I found it important to sing about malaria because it is a disease that kills a lot of people,” Alice Kibopile added.

“Now we have to make it clear that the fight isn’t over,” Lameck Ditto said. “We are continuing to battle malaria.”

The THT provides vocational training and work experience to young people that have a keen interest in the performing and visual arts. 

In addition to performing arts skills, THT youth are trained peer mentors and are able to share helpful information to a broader community through the medium of the performing arts.

The THT has implemented a successful theatre in education programme on topics such as malaria and HIV/AIDS.

Click here to find out more about the Tanzania House of Talent.

Lifelines: The Quest for Global Health was broadcast on Al Jazeera in 2014.