Hospital gets more cases of malaria

On 23 January the hospital said 64 cases of malaria had been reported.

The hospital’s spokesperson Lesibana Ledwaba urged residents to take necessary precautions for the disease. He added, “Most of the cases were of people who recently, and have a travelling history to Mozambique.”

To prevent malaria:

• Use long-lasting insecticide sprays in homes and buildings.
• Place screens on doors and windows.
• Use mosquito netting over beds. Mosquito netting can be soaked in certain types of insecticide as well.
• Apply mosquito repellents on the skin. Wear sufficient clothing, particularly after sundown to protect as much of the skin as possible against mosquito bites. It is a rule of thumb that mosquitoes are less likely to land on white areas of clothing.
• Many people who live in malaria-infested areas sleep with strong fan currents in a room, which seems to discourage mosquitoes from feeding.
• When visiting malaria prone areas, it is important to take prophylaxis which is available at all travel clinics.