Story

Life in Tanzania's Malaria Zone

July 27, 2013 | Pulitzer Center
By
Kathleen E. McLaughlin, for the Pulitzer Center

Malaria is a fact of life in the small fishing villages along the shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. Image by Kathleen McLaughlin. Tanzania, 2013.

Life does go on, however, often with great joy as was the case with this Catholic choir I stumbled across one afternoon while they were filming a video in the Mwanza area. Image by Kathleen McLaughlin. Tanzania, 2013.

Not far away, another group of young dancers practiced the steps to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Image by Kathleen McLaughlin. Tanzania, 2013.

The malaria battle is waged every day, throughout this region. Pharmacist Appolinary Mzinza has spent a decades-long career watching the parasite destroy. Image by Kathleen McLaughlin. Tanzania, 2013.

The newest foe in this battle, and the larger fight for better health in Africa: Fake and substandard medications. At this clinic in Mwanza, patients read a notice about the recall of AIDS medications dispensed by the government later found to be fake. Image by Kathleen McLaughlin. Tanzania, 2013.

The governments in Tanzania and Uganda have promised some action, but corruption and lack of funding has left them somewhat helpless in the flood of fakes. Health experts say the bad medicine could roll back years of recent progress against malaria and other illnesses. Image by Kathleen McLaughlin. Tanzania, 2013.

Africa’s Great Lake Victoria is fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes, making it the world’s deadliest malaria zone. International aid focuses heavily on this region to combat malaria with different tools and now China has entered the mix with its own solutions—and potential problems.