Gauteng Health MEC advises travellers to vaccinate against malaria this festive season
“It remains worrying that from January to September 2022, Gauteng as a province recorded 1 103 cases with 11 deaths."
The Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko encourages travellers visiting malaria endemic areas to take precautionary measures.
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Nomantu has called on the public, especially those who recently travelled to and from malaria-endemic areas, to seek medical treatment when they experience malaria-related symptoms which include fever, chills, headache, and other flu-like symptoms.
Though Malaria Day is observed annually on November 6, to create awareness about malaria and mobilise the community to participate in various malaria control programmes, the MEC still warns residents to be cautious.
“With the festive season fast approaching, we encourage people who will be travelling to and from malaria-endemic areas to take prophylaxis before their visit.
“Complicated malaria cases and deaths are caused by malaria infected patients who delay seeking medical help from the health facility and only visit the health centres when malaria disease has progressed from mild to complicated malaria,” said Nomantu.
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The MEC further expressed that malaria is a preventable and treatable disease from which no one should die, especially if diagnosed and treated early.
“It remains worrying that from January to September 2022, Gauteng as a province recorded 1 103 cases with 11 deaths.
“Most of the malaria cases recorded in the province are from Mozambique followed by Malawi, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
“For every person who dies it is one death too many, therefore, we are working with multiple stakeholders including the tourism and transport sectors to fight this disease,” said the MEC.
“Gauteng as a province, commemorated SADC Malaria Day from November 6 to 11 by scaling up awareness and educating the public about malaria prevention, symptoms, and treatment throughout the province, with a specific focus on transport nodes, multimedia platforms, door-to-door campaigns and more,” said Nomantu.
