Malaria outbreak worries Kweneng DHMT
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday January 25, 2022 06:00
Already the regional DHMT has recorded 11 cases of malaria at Kubung (six), Molepolole (two), Khudumelapye (one) while two were registered in Takatokwane.
When The Monitor visited Molepolole on Friday, health officials from the district were going around the village sensitising residents on the importance of cleaning their yards to avoid contracting malaria. The DHMT team went around the village using loudspeakers to inform the public that they are already registering malaria cases in the area. As a result, they implored the residents to join hands to fight transmission of the disease. The public was urged to cut the grass or bush area near them.
Scottish Livingstone public relations officer, Nthabiseng Dikgang said in response to The Monitor enquiry that “over the past few years, Kweneng District has been reporting malaria cases during seasons, even though Kweneng is not an endemic malaria transmission area historically”. “Kweneng District has recorded a total number of 11 malaria cases during this season. In Botswana one indigenous case of malaria is considered an outbreak, hence declaring an outbreak of malaria in Kweneng district,” Dikgang said.
She urged members of the community to take heed of malaria symptoms and seek medical care at the nearest health facility as early as possible. “Common symptoms of malaria include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and joint pains. Kweneng DHMT health personnel will continue to do contact tracing as a way of curbing the possible spread of malaria as well as early detention to avoid complications,” she said. In Botswana, malaria cases are usually recorded in disease-prone areas such as Okavango, Ngami, Chobe, Boteti, Tutume and Bobirwa.
However, the country has been experiencing cases of malaria in areas that do not usually have the disease over the years like North East, Serowe, Palapye, Mahalapye, Kgatleng Kweneng, Kgalagadi south and Gantsi. The preventive measures that the public could do is draining stagnant water and disposing of objects that are likely to collect water such as tins and old tyres. Transmission of malaria is normally experienced due to heavy rains. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause death if not treated timeously.