AS if the Covid-19 pandemic was not enough of a burden, malaria has reared it’s ugly head and is posing a serious threat on the well-being of the general population.
Malaria is a parasitic disease that is transmitted between humans through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. While there are four types of parasites that can cause malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum is by far the most deadly and common, particularly in Zambia and throughout sub-Saharan Africa says the Zambia National Malaria Elimination Centre.
The war against malaria has long been fought with a good number of areas having eliminated the disease.
Unfortunately, we now hear that over one million people are at risk of contracting malaria in Muchinga Province.
This was disclosed during the Muchinga Province End Malaria Council (EMC) inaugural meeting that took place at Chinsali District Health office recently.
Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary Joyce Nsamba who spoke through Assistant Secretary Sam Mbewe said the current statistics show that the province loses a life to malaria in every 48 hours.
Every day we hear of fatalities linked to coronavirus but little is shared on the fatal impact of malaria. It is an almost forgotten but deadly foe.
Malaria disease caused by P. falciparum may result in death within hours or a few days of infection especially in those with low immunity such as children, pregnant women, people with AIDS (not necessarily HIV carriers), and travelers from areas with little or no malaria. Malaria can also result in miscarriage in pregnant women, low birth-weight infants, developmental disabilities, and other complications.
Sadly, attempts by the Government and collaborating partners to sensitise the community to adopt protective measures seem to be falling on deaf ears.
It is all too common to hear people make claims that sleeping under an insecticide treated net (ITN) causes choking and much worse we have heard of the same nets being used as fishing equipment.
A bout of malaria leads to unproductivity, in pregnant women it can result in miscarriage and very often it is fatal to young children. These deaths can be avoided.
We agree that it is unacceptable to have such high figures of malaria deaths and in echoing the words of the Muchinga PS – no one deserves to die from malaria as the disease is curable.
She stated that each case of malaria imposes a significant social and economic cost in the form of lower gross domestic product (GDP) and reduce worker productivity.
And the PS said Government through the Ministry of health learns heavily on the principle of taking health services closest to the family without leaving no one behind.
Ms Nsamba said the creating of a Zambia End Malaria Council (EMC) was a solution to ensure that Malaria elimination continues to be prioritized at the highest level in the public and private sectors.
The Provincial Health Director Nero Chilembo disclosed that Chama and Mpika had recorded high numbers of malaria cases for the past five (5) years.
Dr Nero said despite the many challenges faced by the ministry in the province such as misapprication of LLIN and refusal in Indoor Residue Spraying (IRS) by some residents, the Ministry has put up many other interventions.
He said that the health office in the region is confident that with the interventions put in place the province will achieve its goal by 2021 of eliminating malaria.
In the same way that individual effort will help curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus, so too must each citizen commit to ending the spread of malaria by adopting preventative measures and seeking medical treatment well in advance to stop further spread.
We have witnessed several of our neighbouring countries having put an end to malaria and so we know that it is not an impossible task.
Let us work together to eradicate malaria.
