Botswana experiences alarming increase in malaria deaths

Gothataone Moeng | Tuesday July 29, 2014 12:40

 

So far, the minister said there have been 18 deaths causes by malaria and 1,249 cases. Last year, there were seven deaths and 429 cases. This year, 70 percent of malaria cases have been recorded in the Okavango. The disease was reported in areas such as Palapye, Mahalapye and Kweneng East, which are ordinarily expected to be malaria free.

Seakgosing told Parliament that the outbreaks, which also occurred in Chobe and Ngami, were due to heavy rainfall experienced this year. The cases are a setback to Botswana’s commitment to completely eliminate malaria by 2015.

Seakgosing said Botswana had made significant strides in reducing the burden of malaria through implementation of intensified interventions. “Confirmed malaria cases reduced from 8,056 in 2000 to 456 in 2013 (94% reduction), and malaria deaths reduced from 35 in 2000 to seven (80% reduction) in 2013. As a result of the above achievements, Botswana is one of the four SADC countries targeted for malaria elimination by 2015, together with Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa,” he said.

The minister said the country has a strong Weekly Surveillance System and a Rapid Immediate Notification System which ensures all malaria cases are reported on a weekly basis to the national level through phone or fax. To ensure that all health workers have the necessary skills to manage malaria, all districts have people trained in case based surveillance for malaria. Seakgosing said health districts have rapid response teams to deal with disease outbreaks, including malaria.  “Every suspected malaria case is tested and confirmed either by a rapid diagnostic test or microscopy.  Only positive malaria cases are treated.  In order to ensure cases which are from the same areas as the cases are detected, screening is done for those living in the same household with the patient, and their neighbours,” he explained.

He said patients are followed up until day 28 to ensure they are cured and to monitor the efficiency of the medication.

He said the ministry has preventative interventions such as free Indoor Residual Spraying, provision of Long Lasting Mosquito Nets to communities in Ngami, Okavango, Chobe, Boteti, Tutume and Bobirwa. The 41,000 nets distributed in 2012 are expected to be effective for three years.

However, Seakgosing said the ministry faces the challenge of low uptake of the interventions by the affected communities.  “Indoor residual spraying coverage remains very low in North West and all the other spraying districts. In 2013, the coverage was 68% way below the 90% target by World Health Organisations (WHO). This low coverage is mainly due to refusals and people not being at home during the spraying time,” he said.

He said a 2012 Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) indicated that, nationally, only 40.3% of people in households with mosquito nets sleep under the nets. Seakgosing was responding to a question from Francistown West MP Dr. Habaudi Hobona who wanted to know how the ministry manages malaria outbreaks.a