27 Aug 2015

The head of the Bobirwa District Health Management Team (DHMT) Dr Jackson Kaguamba has assured councillors that his team is committed to eliminating malaria in the sub-district.

Presenting on the malaria situation in Bobirwa, Dr Kaguamba said he will personally lead a campaign called the Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) exercise that will start in October. The exercise is designed to wipe out the disease, which is caused by the anopheles mosquito.

He assured the councillors that he will ensure that all houses in the areas where IRS is to be conducted are covered. He revealed that the disease is most prevalent in villages such as Semolale, Mathathane, Lentswelemoriti, Molalatau and Moletemane.

He said during the month of September, DMHT would be engaged in recruitment and training of staff for the exercise. Dr Kaguamba stated that unlike in areas like Chobe and Okavango, malaria in Bobirwa is seasonal, especially during the rainy season. He cautioned that the disease has the potential to cause fatalities if untreated.

He called on the general public to allow the DHMT staff to spray their houses. He said that malaria causes illness and death and affects tourism and agriculture.

“Tourists fear visiting countries that are malaria listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” he said.

Government is concerned that the blanket IRS campaign in previous years in the district did not produce the intended results, yielding only 62 percent, which is below the WHO target of 85 percent. Dr Kaguamba said the country uses over P20 million every year on IRS, and said there was a need for thorough supervision to ensure that government funds are not wasted.

He described IRS as an extremely effective method of controlling malaria but stated that people do not have faith in it because mosquitos bite them even after spraying.

DHMT also issues treated nets, especially to pregnant mothers, children under five years of age, the elderly and disabled people. The DHMT head said mosquitoes that bite after IRS are harmless.

He stated that DHMT needs four vehicles to supervise the campaign and appealed to other departments to help them with resources. He said that they only have two vehicles on the ground. Councillors applauded the DHMT for the exercise, and Kgosi Letso Malema of Molalatau suggested that areas such as cattle posts and septic tanks must be sprayed because they are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Councillor Keoagile Ramatlotlo of Dandane/Mabeleng said there was a need to educate the general public about IRS because some people have misconceptions about it. He also wanted to know other effective methods of malaria control besides IRS. Ends