Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Health Reporter
GOVERNMENT has stepped up efforts to combat malaria following an increase in cases this year, reaffirming its commitment to sustain progress towards eliminating the disease.
Zimbabwe has so far recorded 136 148 malaria cases and over 100 deaths this year, representing a 22,7 percent increase in infections compared to the same period in 2025. A total of 481 malaria outbreaks have been reported, although 374 (78 percent) have since been brought under control.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the Government was implementing a combination of interventions to ensure the country remains on course towards malaria elimination despite the seasonal spike.
“We are looking at a number of measures to make sure that we get on top of malaria. We are strengthening indoor residual spraying, addressing challenges with the supply of DDT and changing the chemicals we use where resistance is detected. We want to continue moving towards the elimination of malaria and we believe we will get there,” he said.
Malaria remains one of Zimbabwe’s leading public health challenges, particularly in low-lying districts where transmission is highest during and after the rainy season. Ministry of Health and Child Care data shows Mashonaland Central remains the hardest-hit province, accounting for 55 654 cases (41 percent), followed by Manicaland with 30 175 cases (22 percent).
The outbreaks are being driven by several factors, including low indoor residual spraying coverage due to delays in insecticide deliveries, increased exposure among artisanal miners, farmers, charcoal producers and border communities, as well as changing mosquito distribution patterns in some districts.
Dr Mombeshora said the delays in the indoor residual spraying programme had affected malaria control efforts after quality concerns were identified in insecticides procured for Zimbabwe.
“There was a bit of a challenge with our supplies for indoor residual spraying. The quality was not good, but the issue was detected before the supplies were delivered to Zimbabwe. Engagements were made with the supplier to rectify the problem, although this resulted in delays in receiving the correct quality chemicals,” he said.
He said the experience underscored the need for early communication whenever abnormalities are detected in procurement systems to avoid disruptions to disease control programmes.
The delays contributed to spraying coverage reaching 78 percent, below the 85 percent threshold considered necessary for maximum impact and far short of the national target of 100 percent. The reduced coverage contributed to outbreaks across all indoor residual spraying districts in Manicaland, while Chiredzi was also affected.
To strengthen mosquito control, the Government is working with other African countries to secure supplies of DDT, which remains one of the most effective insecticides for malaria vector control.
Although banned for agricultural use in many countries, DDT is still permitted under international exemptions for public health programmes.
Dr Mombeshora said only one manufacturer in India currently produces DDT and requires large minimum orders that individual countries cannot meet.
“In the African region, we have asked for an extension of the use of DDT because it is still very effective against mosquitoes. South Africa is leading efforts to consolidate the requirements of countries in the region so that we can procure as a group rather than as individual countries,” he said.
He said Zimbabwe was also rotating insecticides used during spraying campaigns to slow the development of mosquito resistance.
“Where we detect resistance, we change the chemicals that we use from time to time so that we reduce resistance and maintain the effectiveness of vector control measures,” he said.
Beyond spraying, the Government has intensified community engagement, targeted larviciding and the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, particularly in districts that did not receive spraying during the 2025/26 season.
Mass mosquito net distribution has already been completed in Bikita, Zaka and Makonde, while allocation is continuing in five other high-risk districts. In addition, the United States is procuring 1,2 million mosquito nets.
While the country has maintained a malaria case fatality rate of 0,3 percent, similar to last year’s 0,27 percent, health officials remain concerned about deaths, particularly in Mashonaland Central, which accounted for 28 percent of the total deaths, followed by Manicaland with 19 percent.
Dr Mombeshora said the spike in cases was not confined to Zimbabwe as malaria experts have observed a recurring global trend in which cases tend to increase every three years.
He said 2026 was one of those peak years, with another increase anticipated in 2029, although researchers have yet to determine the cause of the cyclical pattern.
