Gauteng Health intensifies malaria awareness campaign
As the Southern African Development Community (SADC) observe Malaria Day on 6 November 2023 to raise awareness on the curable and preventable disease, the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) continues to target public transport nodes such as taxi ranks and bus stations to heighten education among people on prevention measures.
This comes as Gauteng hospitals reported 1 105 malaria cases and 10 deaths from January to September 2023, as a result of the life-threatening disease spread to humans by mosquitoes in endemic areas.
The majority of people who were admitted and those who have demised as a result of the disease had travelled to Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Angola. These countries are known to be Malaria endemic regions within SADC.
In South Africa, Malaria endemic provinces include the Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces. However, non-endemic provinces like Gauteng still need to intensify awareness on how to prevent and manage the disease as many people who live in the province often visit these endemic regions, thus increasing the risk Malaria spreading.
Malaria symptoms include fever, headache, general body aches and pains, general body weakness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea and the flu. It is important that people who notice any of these symptoms after visiting a malaria prevalent area visit their nearest clinic or doctor to get tested and treated for Malaria, as delay in treatment can lead to death.
While raising awareness about Malaria, the GDoH also offers those leaving South Africa to endemic areas Malaria chemoprophylaxis as part
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of efforts to prevent the infection rate. The Department also encourages travellers to report any symptoms of Malaria within 21days of coming back from their trips for Malaria rapid test and early treatment.
When travelling to a Malaria endemic area, it is important for people to practice protective measures which include regular use of mosquito repellents, wearing of long trousers and long sleeve shirts, being indoors between dusk and dawn, sleeping in air-conditioned rooms or in a room with a fan and sleeping in insecticide treated nettings.
To ensure that awareness is ongoing at community level across the province, the GDoH continuously train Health Promoters at the districts and facilities on Malaria.
In addition to this, the GDoH has collaborated with the Doctors Without Borders to raise awareness and translate the information, education and communication on Malaria into Portuguese. This is due to 90% of the cases reported in Gauteng being of travellers from Mozambique.
