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Zimbabwe: Country Marks World Malaria Day
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
28 April 2008
Posted to the web 28 April 2008
Harare
ZIMBABWE on Friday joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Malaria Day.
The day was set aside to focus people's attention on malaria, a life-threatening but preventable and curable disease.
In Africa, the day replaced the Africa Malaria Day, which was previously commemorated on the same day every year since 2001.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 500 million
people are infected with malaria every year and over one million people die as a result with Sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected.
This year's commemoration centred on Malaria and HIV 2.
A number of studies have shown that dual infection with malaria and HIV fuels the spread of both diseases.
Infection with the malaria parasite causes a rise in viral load in HIV-infected people, while malaria is more frequent and severe among people infected with HIV.
The interaction of the two diseases is also more significant when studied in pregnant women, according to Science magazine, Volume 314, 2006.
"When we provide malaria prophylaxis, we target pregnant women and children under five years of age because malaria is more severe and complicated in these groups," said Dr Tapiwanashe Bwakura, a specialist physician.
"When a person is HIV positive, he or she is already immuno-suppressed so if he or she gets other infections, there are high chances of severity and complications," he said
HIV and malaria can independently cause serious complications during pregnancy, endangering the health and survival of both the pregnant woman and the infant, but when the two diseases occur together, the dangers are compounded.
In one study conducted in Zimbabwe and published in November's Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (2003), the symptoms of malaria were about four times more likely to develop in HIV-infected women than in those without HIV.
Dual infection was also associated with an increased risk of maternal and early infant death compared to either disease alone.
The study also measured the relative effects of HIV, malaria and co-infection on pregnancy in 986 women admitted to a hospital in an epidemic area for both HIV and malaria.
About 8,3 percent of the women were HIV positive, while 14,7 percent had symptomatic malaria.
It was discovered that HIV-infected women were more likely to develop malaria during pregnancy than HIV negative women.
Malaria and HIV infections were also associated with increased risk of stillbirth and pre-term delivery.
There are, however, no field studies that directly measure the effect of malaria on HIV spread.
"HIV positive people living in malaria endemic areas and people travelling to malaria zones should ensure that they take the necessary precautions to prevent themselves from malaria," said Dr Bwakura.
"They should take malaria prophylaxis, sleep under treated bed nets and ensure that their households are sprayed."
The general symptoms of malaria include fevers (feeling hot and sometimes feeling cold), headaches and vomiting among other things.
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He called on for more concerted efforts from across the country to combat the continued spread of both diseases as people celebrate World Malaria Day.
Dr Bwakura said there is need for more concerted health services for early and effective treatment and prevention of malaria in HIV-infected perso ns.
The need for WMD was noted at the 60th World Health Assembly in March 2007 after member states of the World Health Organisation agreed that greater awareness on malaria was needed.
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