Mat South districts record lower malaria cases

By The NewsDay | Jun. 28, 2021 | 2 Min read

SEVEN districts in Matabeleland South province are reportedly recording zero to 10 malaria cases per week, with Beitbridge being rated as the only district that is experiencing high malaria transmissions.

BY SILAS NKALA

This was revealed by the Matabeleland South provincial epidemiology and disease control officer Andrew Muza at the weekend after an inquiry made by Southern Eye on the state of malaria infections in the province.

Muza said Matabeleland South province was one of the provinces with a low malaria prevalence in the country.

“We are working towards malaria elimination in the province. Beitbridge is the only district that has some areas with high malaria transmission. Currently, our districts have been recording between zero and 10 cases per week in 2021, with the exception of Beitbridge,” Muza said.

“Our malaria deaths are five for this year. There has been a general decrease in malaria cases when we compare 2020 and 2021. We would like to encourage the public to participate in the malaria elimination initiatives that we are taking.”

He said the public should correctly and consistently use long-lasting insecticide treated nets, participate in local environmental management programmes, seek early treatment whenever they have symptoms suggestive of malaria, as well as co-operate with healthcare workers at all levels in addressing malaria associated problems.

Muza said as of May 2020, statistics showed that Matabeleland South province recorded 2 823 cases of malaria and 11 deaths, with Beitbridge accounting for 89% of the cases.

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This was against the 2019 figures of 583 cases and nine deaths, down from 1 966 cases and 10 deaths in 2018.

Indications were that of the recorded cases in 2020, 2 511 were from Beitbridge district, 249 from Gwanda and 17 from Insiza, while Matobo recorded 28, Umzingwane district 11 and Mangwe had seven cases.