Malaria on the increase as rains pour

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Wednesday January 26, 2011 00:00

So far, 63 infections nationwide that include the death of one person in Kweneng district have been reported.

Principal Public Relations officer at MoE, Temba Sibanda, noted that with the current rains, it is highly likely that there will be outbreaks even in areas that do not normally have malaria. 'The whole country has received substantial rainfall and it is possible for malaria transmission to occur even in areas that normally do not have transmission,' he said. 

He said that usually, malaria transmission mainly occurs in the Northern parts of the country, but can occur in other parts of the country under heavy rains. 'The burden of malaria is greatest in Boteti, Chobe, Ngami, Okavango and Tutume districts, with significant malaria reported in central region and sporadic cases in some parts of the southern region in years of heavy rainfall,' he said.

He warned that everyone in the country is at risk of malaria infection at this time and advised that people take all the necessary precautions to protect themselves against this deadly disease. 'We encourage the public to continue using insect repellents, and wear clothes that cover arms and legs especially during the evening as well as sleeping under treated mosquito nets where possible,' he advised.

Again, he advised people to keep surroundings clean, cutting grass around their houses, and disposing of objects that are likely to collect water that can encourage the breeding of mosquitoes.  Sibanda has also advised pregnant women living in areas with malaria to take malaria preventive pills throughout the pregnancy until six weeks after delivery. Travellers from non-malarious areas to malarious areas must also visit their nearest health facility two weeks before travel for medical advice. He advised that malaria is preventable and curable, and that anyone who develops fever, severe headaches, chills, sweating, abdominal pains, nausea and vomiting must visit the nearest health facility for medical help.

Bobirwa has recorded the highest cases of infection while Ngami and Gaborone are second with 10 cases each. 

Kweneng East has registered seven cases so far while Boteti confirmed six cases.  Other districts around the country have recorded less than five cases.