27 Feb 2017

The District Health Management Team (DHMT) for Tutume Sub-district council has recorded eight cases of Malaria in the region since the start of the rainy season, putting the team on high alert for an outbreak in the region or other parts of the country.

DHMT coordinator, Dr Ivan Kgetse said during a one-day workshop for the district leadership in Nata last week that water was stagnant in so many places and therefore it was important to be vigilant.

Dr Kgetse noted that they had equipped the leadership with awareness messages and precautionary measures to pass to the public so that they could seek medical attention upon noticing early symptoms.

He said more cases of Malaria were expected as the rains continued, adding that the condition called for vigilance; hence the move to monitor the situation and put up measures to prevent any more cases and or mortality.

Compared to other parts of the country, Dr Kgetse stated that the region was still the lowest and wanted to keep it that way.

He attributed the low rate to the use of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) whereby homes were sprayed prior to the rainy season.

Further, Dr Kgetse said during IRS campaigns, there was resistance by some residents.

He said they engaged the district leadership to share with the community the importance of such interventions

While some preferred mosquito nets, he said it was not possible to provide everybody with one. With IRS, he said almost every household could be covered. ENDS