Malaria cases on the rise in Limpopo, warns MEC

Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba has called on residents to be proactive in their measures to prevent malaria as the province experiences resurgence of cases.

According to a statement issued by the department the province has, since the start of the Malaria season, recorded 406 cases and two malaria-related deaths. Ramathuba said that even though the recorded cases are lower than last year during the same period, it remains a cause for concern. “It is a clear indication that the province has not yet achieved our ambition of zero malaria infections,” she said.

The department has put in place 42 malaria teams throughout the province to control the spread of the disease, with the ultimate aim to eliminate malaria. Ramathuba said surveillance teams consisting of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHS) and spray operators have been trained and will be on the ground testing and treating malaria ‘to increase the malaria programmer’s ability to reach most malaria infected individuals and significantly decrease the malaria parasite reservoir in Limpopo’.

Signs & Symptoms of Malaria

The department has also dispatched control teams via a door-to-door campaign to educate residents and distribute flyers on malaria as a way to step up the fight against the disease, the statement reads.

The department has over the past 15 years made considerable progress in reducing the evidence of malaria in the province: “In 2020/2021, 3461 malaria cases and 19 deaths were recorded, while during the current period 2021/2022, 406 malaria cases have been reported, with two deaths.”

The department gave a case breakdown per district:

• Vhembe district has recorded 196 cases and one death,
• Mopani district has recorded 184 cases and one death,
• Waterberg district has recorded 10 cases, Capricorn 10 cases and Sekhukhune six cases.

The deaths are as a result of a delay in patients seeking health care, presenting with complicated symptoms, Ramathuba said.

“Malaria hot-spots include Vhembe and Mopani, followed by Sekhukhune and we continue to urge all malaria-prone communities to stay vigilant and immediately report any malaria related case to the nearest clinic or primary health centre.”

Ramathuba concluded that malaria remains a fatal disease if remained undiagnosed and untreated.

“Malaria is preventable, malaria is curable and malaria kills. Let’s make malaria fight our responsibility. Zero malaria infections starts with us.”