Malaria claims 10 in Manicaland

http://www.herald.co.zw

Thursday, 14 February 2013 19:45

Paidamoyo Chipunza Health Reporter

A serious malaria outbreak in Manicaland province has claimed 10 lives while
more than 22 000 people were treated of the disease in one week alone.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare shows that of the
22 480 cases reported last week, 3 546 and one death were children under the
age of five years.

Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Douglas Mombeshora said a team of
health experts had since been dispatched to the affected areas to contain
the outbreak.

Minister Mombeshora said last week figures brings the total number of
malaria cases to 62 587 and 32 deaths nationwide.

“We have already started recording an increase in malaria cases this year
following the incessant rains and some floods,” Minister Mombeshora said.

Last year the country recorded 8 547 cases and 13 deaths of malaria
nationally. The outbreak in Manicaland has largely affected Buhera and
Mutare districts but some deaths were also recorded in Mutoko and Harare.
Zimbabwe has a long history of malaria outbreaks because of its high
altitude.

Areas above 1 500m such as Harare are usually malaria free, while areas
below 900m are normally a high risk to malaria, particularly in the north of
the altitude is between 900 and 1500m.

In Zimbabwe malaria endemic areas include Mutare, Gokwe, Mutoko, Dande,
Chikombedzi, Mudzi, Hwange and Mt Darwin. After HIV and AIDS, malaria is
the biggest killer of children under five in Zimbabwe and pregnant women as
well as newborns.

Malaria is increasingly becoming resistant to existing drugs. In recent
years there have been an increase in the number of reported outbreaks,
specifically linked to flooding. These include diarrhoeal outbreaks and
malaria.

The sensitivity of the disease to certain environmental conditions suggests
that climate change may influence the nature of the disease and the size and
severity of outbreaks

It seems to me that with all of the rain and flooding they have had this year that they should have expected an increase in malaria cases. The Mutare area as well as the Mt. Darwin areas are high altitude areas so it puzzles me why the malaria rate is so high there.

465H&H