China
12:35, 30-Mar-2017
At least 170 people killed by Malaria in Zimbabwe after heavy rains
Updated
11:11, 28-Jun-2018
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At least 173 people in Zimbabwe have died from malaria in the last two months alone, with up to 100,000 cases having been reported. The country’s health officials are battling an upsurge of malaria due to heavy rains in recent months.
“We have seen an increase above the average when we compare for the past five years,” said Dr. Joseph Mberikunashe, manager of the National Malaria Control Program.
Dr. Joseph Mberikunashe, manager of National Malaria Control Program. / CGTN Photo
Dr. Joseph Mberikunashe, manager of National Malaria Control Program. / CGTN Photo
Since 2000, Zimbabwe had lowered the prevalence of malaria by 79 percent. But preventive efforts of spraying homes and distributing mosquito nets have been stymied by inclement weather.
The Malaria Unit of Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health says it has been tracking new infections on a weekly basis. It added that it has responded to the growing numbers of infection by scaling up the distribution of test kits and training community members to test for malaria.
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