POLOKWANE – The Limpopo Department of Health is encouraging communities and health care providers to be aware of malaria and not to delay seeking treatment and testing for malaria.
Read more: [INFOGRAPHIC] Signs & Symptoms of Malaria
This comes as the commemorates the World Malaria Day. World Malaria Day is commemorated annually on 25 April and is a day chosen by African governments who are committed to reverse the progression of malaria, to meet the malaria-related UN Millennium Development Goals.
Malaria is endemic in the north eastern parts of Limpopo, with the transmission seasonal, says spokesperson for the Department, Neil Shikwambana.
“Limited seasonal transmission also occurs in western Waterberg and parts of southern Sekhukhune. Cases are normally at its highest during the summer rainy season, with an increased number of cases reported between January and April,” he added.
While malaria transmission showed a gradual decline in Limpopo since 2000, Limpopo reported an increased transmission of malaria during 2017, with 17 765 cases reported between January and December 2017. This increase was part of a general upsurge of malaria in the SADC region.
Read more: Over 600 malaria cases reported in Limpopo so far
While Limpopo has an effective indoor residual spraying programme, where all risk communities are sprayed annually by the Department, the 2017 upsurge promoted the Department to put additional measures in place to curb a similar upsurge.
“In order to reduce the transmission of malaria, Limpopo Health has 42 malaria teams operational, to conduct the spraying of houses. Since August 2017, a total of 964 138 houses have been sprayed. As there were higher levels of transmission towards the end of the summer in 2017 (May 2017), steps were taken to continue with spraying later into the malaria season. Currently, malaria spray teams are still active with spraying in high risk communities in Mopani and Vhembe,” Shikwambana said.
All health facilities in Limpopo are prepared to deal with malaria cases. Public Health Care (PHC) facilities can all test for malaria and treatment is available at this level. All hospitals also have access to the latest malaria treatment regime available.
