Good rains raised prospects for malaria

1. The good rains experienced in Namibia this rainy season have not only brought good fortunes to our country’s farmers and its people. Amidst the rivers that flowed, dams that filled up again, the lush green grazing and wild animals that has abundance again, another old familiar enemy has reared its ugly head again: malaria.

The several years of drought experienced by Namibia prior to this rainy season saw a significant drop in malaria, a parasite carried by mosquitos. Mosquitos breed in water pools. Malaria is a liver disease and is deadly if not treated in time or treated adequately.

In fact, malaria is a common enemy for all inhabitants of the Southern African Region. On 18 August 2018 the Heads of State and Governments of the SADC signed the Windhoek Declaration on Eliminating Malaria in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

“This year, Namibia experienced good rains. We are now seeing an upsurge in the number of malaria cases in the northern health districts”, explained health minister Dr. Kalumbi Shangula. He urged Namibians living in malaria areas to take the necessary precautions. That includes mosquito nets and the various personal protection equipment like ointments, insect repellants and other types of repellants on the market. It is also important to seek medical advice should you suspect your or someone close to you might have contracted malaria.

If you intend to visit malaria prone areas in the near future, make sure to take preventative medication. The Karas Region, Hardap Region, and the entire coastal region are malaria free.