8 000 malaria cases reported in Mpumalanga
About 8 000 malaria cases have been reported in nine months. The disease has killed 85 people from April 2017 to January 2018.
Mpumalanga Province has experienced a significant increase in malaria.
This was heard during the executive council meeting held at the legislature on Thursday.
The council was briefed on the provincial status of the disease and the strategy to deal with it.
Also read: 896 cases of malaria reported during festive season in Mpumalanga
It was heard that the malaria cases mostly occurred in areas in and around the Kruger National Park, Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge.
The unusual rain patterns in these areas have proven conducive for ongoing parasite development and this led to an earlier than expected malaria season.
Members of the executive council tasked the provincial department of health to develop a clear plan, with costs, which will improve public awareness campaigns in order to mitigate the risk of future infections, and also train community development workers (CDWs) and equip them with basic testing kits to assist those suspected to have contracted malaria.
Symptoms of malaria include:
* An intermittent mild fever
* Headache
* Muscle aches and chills
* A general feeling of illness
* General aches and pains
