By Ndumiso Tshuma
The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) has announced ambitious targets to significantly reduce malaria cases and related deaths in Zimbabwe.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
It is a significant global health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions where the Anopheles mosquitoes thrive.
By 2026, the Ministry aims to achieve a reduction in malaria cases to 15 per 1,000 people and decrease malaria-related deaths by at least 90 percent.
In observance of World Malaria Day on Thursday, the Ministry reiterated its commitment to fighting the disease, highlighting the availability of two vaccines to protect children against Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite.
This year’s theme is: “Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.”
The Ministry reported a positive trend in malaria cases, with 245,000 individuals testing positive in 2023. This represents a decrease from 32 cases per 1,000 people in 2020 to 16 cases per 1,000 people in 2023.
“In 2023, 98.5 percent of all suspected malaria cases underwent testing. Health facilities and community health workers conducted 1 million malaria tests annually, with community health workers treating 58 percent of cases,” stated the Ministry.
Additionally, Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) protected 2.7 million people in high-burden districts in 2023.
The Ministry also revealed that it had distributed over 900,000 mosquito nets to communities in medium to low-transmission districts, achieving 100 percent coverage of the target population.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Gavi Vaccine Alliance announced the launch of the world’s first malaria vaccine in Benin. This comes as Benin grappled with 5.1 million malaria cases and 11,000 deaths in 2022.
“On April 25, Benin will commence administering RTS malaria vaccines to children,” stated the Gavi Vaccine Alliance. “This is a significant step towards combating a disease that claims over 10,000 lives annually.”
