Zimbabwe Records Five Malaria Fatalities In One Week

The Ministry of Health and Child Care has reported five fatalities and 1,588 new malaria cases in the week ending 24 March 2024.

In its latest Disease Surveillance Report, the Ministry said that 140 of the reported cases were from under (5) five years of age. Reads the report:

The deaths were reported from Centenary District (1),Mt Darwin District (1) in Mash Central Province, District (2) in Masvingo Province and Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo Province.

The provinces that reported the highest number of cases were Mashonaland Central Province (901) and Manicaland Province (243). The cumulative figures for malaria cases are 10 957 and 15 deaths.

Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

Symptoms of malaria include high fever, shaking, chills, general discomfort, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, muscle or joint pain, fatigue and rapid breathing and heart rate.

If left untreated, malaria can lead to severe health problems, including cerebral malaria, breathing problems, organ failure, anaemia and low blood sugar.

Malaria can be prevented by the use of insecticides and insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent mosquito bites, as well as preventive medicine before, during, and after travel to high-risk areas.

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