The Ngorongoro Marathon is a half marathon (21 km) held annually in April in the Ngorongoro region of Tanzania. It is arranged by the Tanzania division of the Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV) and has the purpose to raise financial support and community awareness about the problem of Malaria in Tanzania through the participation of both locals and foreign visitors alike.

In Tanzania, one person dies from Malaria every 5 minutes, mostly because of a lack of health care services. But there can also be debilitating effects to the survivors. Women who become infected during pregnancy run the risk of having low birth weight babies, may suffer from anemia, premature births, birth defects, still births and spontaneous abortions. Young children can be left with neurological after-effects and learning disabilities.

MIHV Tanzania wants to change this. They want to help raise enough money and support to educate the public on preventative measures (such as using mosquito nets, insect wires, repellents, etc.), and to establish health care centres with enough resources to address community problems. If caught early, Malaria is easily treated. But without the knowledge and equipment to deter mosquitos, or the medical ability to quickly address the problem through medicines, Malaria will remain a constant threat to the welfare of the people of Tanzania.

If you would like to learn more about the Ngorongoro Marathon and the fight against malaria, then please visit the ZARA Blog for entries covering this spectacular event!