OVER 50% of the country’s population is at risk of contracting malaria despite the introduction of several measures to combat the disease, a Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) report has revealed. By Stephen Chadenga
“Malaria is a major health problem in Zimbabwe with 50% of the population at risk although its epidemiology varies in the different provinces of the country, ranging from year-round transmission in the lowland areas to epidemic-prone in the highlands,” part of the report read.
“The vision of the plan is a malaria-free Zimbabwe and the goal is to reduce malaria incidence from 95/1 000 in 2007 to 10/1 000 by 2015 and reduce malaria deaths to near zero by 2015.”
The report indicates that 53,7% of households had at least one mosquito net, 42% had an insecticide-treated mosquito nets and 40,4% had access to a long-lasting insecticidal treated net.
The Zimstat report revealed that 23,2% of households received indoor residual spraying over the last 12 months.
In 2013 alone, 326 people died of malaria while 386 505 cases were reported countrywide.
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In Zimbabwe, the malaria burden has decreased significantly over the past decade from an average of two million cases and 5 000 deaths per year in the early 2000s, to below 400 000 cases and less than 300 deaths per year.