Malaria: North feels the bite

ADDRESSING the Ohangwena community at Eenhana at an African Malaria Day event, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Richard Kamwi, said he was very concerned about the malaria epidemic gripping the region.

Something drastic had to be done he said. Kamwi said the commemoration of the day focused on promoting children as advocates for malaria control and the early recognition of malaria symptoms and treatment for all, especially children and pregnant women.What was also needed was affordable insecticides, treated nets for children in malaria-affected regions and for non-immune travellers from malaria areas.Kamwi said that children, especially those under five years old, and pregnant mothers were most at risk from malaria.All of them had to be well informed about malaria as a disease, as well as its signs and symptoms.He said that on April 25 2000, African leaders had met in Abuja, Nigeria, for the first-ever African summit on malaria and to sign the historical Abuja Declaration.The declaration commits governments, including Namibia, to intensive efforts to reduce the burden of malaria by 2010.”For the Government to reach the targets set in 2000, efforts should be made not only by the Government but by all partners to ensure a malaria-free future,” Kamwi said.The commemoration was held on Friday, ahead of African Malaria Day last Sunday.Kamwi revealed that malaria was a major cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.He said that annually 300 to 500 million clinical cases of malaria were reported world-wide, with 90 per cent of these cases in sub-Saharan Africa.In Namibia, he said, there were around 400 000 clinical cases, 36 000 in-patient cases and about 400 deaths a year.Speaking at the same occasion, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Namibia, Dr Custodian Mandlhate, said that everybody recognised that malaria continued to be a major public health problem in Africa and was something that had to be fought by all stakeholders.She said evidence indicated that the social and economic burden of malaria was very high and that those who suffered from malaria came mostly from disadvantaged communities.Mandlhate said that malaria cost Africa more then US$12 billion annually, while it would take U$3billion to control the disease.She added that a poor family living in malaria-affected areas might spend up to 25 per cent or more of its annual income on prevention and treatment.Kamwi said the commemoration of the day focused on promoting children as advocates for malaria control and the early recognition of malaria symptoms and treatment for all, especially children and pregnant women.What was also needed was affordable insecticides, treated nets for children in malaria-affected regions and for non-immune travellers from malaria areas.Kamwi said that children, especially those under five years old, and pregnant mothers were most at risk from malaria.All of them had to be well informed about malaria as a disease, as well as its signs and symptoms.He said that on April 25 2000, African leaders had met in Abuja, Nigeria, for the first-ever African summit on malaria and to sign the historical Abuja Declaration.The declaration commits governments, including Namibia, to intensive efforts to reduce the burden of malaria by 2010.”For the Government to reach the targets set in 2000, efforts should be made not only by the Government but by all partners to ensure a malaria-free future,” Kamwi said.The commemoration was held on Friday, ahead of African Malaria Day last Sunday.Kamwi revealed that malaria was a major cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.He said that annually 300 to 500 million clinical cases of malaria were reported world-wide, with 90 per cent of these cases in sub-Saharan Africa.In Namibia, he said, there were around 400 000 clinical cases, 36 000 in-patient cases and about 400 deaths a year.Speaking at the same occasion, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Namibia, Dr Custodian Mandlhate, said that everybody recognised that malaria continued to be a major public health problem in Africa and was something that had to be fought by all stakeholders.She said evidence indicated that the social and economic burden of malaria was very high and that those who suffered from malaria came mostly from disadvantaged communities.Mandlhate said that malaria cost Africa more then US$12 billion annually, while it would take U$3billion to control the disease.She added that a poor family living in malaria-affected areas might spend up to 25 per cent or more of its annual income on prevention and treatment.