The Ministry of Health and Child Care has urged members of the public who have malaria symptoms to seek medical attention within 24 hours to prevent deaths.
In response to questions by the Chronicle, the Ministry said delays in accessing malaria treatment will lead to severe malaria that can lead to death. Said the ministry:
Going for testing and treatment services within 24 hours of malaria symptoms (that include fever, headache, joint pains, loss of appetite, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting) will facilitate early cure and completing the treatment course will break the chain of malaria transmission. Testing and treatment for malaria is free and can be accessed from village health workers and local health facilities.
The Ministry said members of the public should be on the lookout for severe malaria signs and symptoms that include:
1). jaundice (yellow eyes),
2). white palms (anaemia)
3). very high temperature,
4). severe body weakness (unable to sit/stand),
5). passing very little coca-cola-coloured urine/not passing urine at all,
6). severe vomiting.
During the first week of 2023, Zimbabwe recorded a total of 1 950 malaria cases and six deaths. Of the reported cases 212 were from under the age of five.
The Ministry also intends to conduct Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in 25 districts during the 2022/2023 malaria season.
Nine districts completed their spraying in 2022 and the remaining 16 districts are expected to finish by the end of January 2023.
Indoor residual spraying is targeted at districts that have high malaria transmission.