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mosquitoes in the two cities are now transmitting malaria.
This follows reports that some people who never left Harare and Bulawayo had their blood samples examined and confirmed that they were suffering from malaria. A Ministry of Health and Child Welfare official revealed recently that Harare and Bulawayo may now be malaria transmission zones as resistance to first line treatment was rising. Speaking at a conference held in Kadoma recently, information and education officer in the ministry, Mrs Fortunate Manjoro, confirmed that there have been cases of people who never travelled outside the capital cities being diagnosed with the disease.
“The malaria stratification map needs new work as movements of people may have changed the scenario in which there were places like Harare and Bulawayo, which were known to be non-malaria transmission zones. The last map was done in 2002 but now there have been cases of malaria in Bulawayo and Harare among people who have never travelled outside the cities.
“This may be an indication that the two areas are now also malaria transmission zones. Border areas are the most vulnerable with Manicaland, Mudzi, Beitbridge, Victoria Falls Hwange and Kariba being among the most affected areas for 2009 with some areas recording up top 365 deaths in the year,” she said.
Harare and Bulawayo’s weather discourages the breeding of malaria causing female mosquitoes. Mrs Manjoro was addressing delegates at a conference for the civil society on the mechanics of the Global Fund. The conference was convened by the country co-ordinating committee for the Global Fund, which is the secretariat entrusted with ensuring that Zimbabwe accesses Global Fund grants to respond to HIV and Aids,
TB and malaria. Malaria is transmitted by the female anopheles mosquito and is potentially fatal if not treated. It can kill a person within 48 hours of onset of symptoms. Some areas of Harare like Kuwadzana have perennial mosquito problems especially during the rainy season but these have been previously viewed as a nuisance rather than a grave health hazard. She said that Zimbabweans have developed resistance to the first line treatment of the disease and expensive second line drugs were now the standard treatment. She discouraged self-diagnosis and treatment as they might lead to further resistance, which would see the country needing to acquire third line drugs.
Mrs Manjoro said that in the past there were some measures such as the spraying with insecticide of long distance buses that would be leaving the urban centres for the malaria prone areas.
But this has not been done for a while now due to constricted funding and the need to channel all available resources in reducing death in the danger zones. The ministry has employed the use of residual indoor/household spraying, and mass distribution of long lasting insecticide nets in the fight against malaria.
“We have managed to distribute 2,1 million nets from a target of three and therefore have a shortfall of one million. We are now also using bio larvicides for spraying mosquito breeding ground instead of spreading oil, which was not eco-friendly.”
She, however, noted that there was need to create awareness among the people as some of the beneficiaries of the programmes were abusing the nets by using them as fishing nets and fowl run fences. On the other hand, Mrs Manjoro pointed out that Zimbabwe had surpassed the targets of Abuja to half malaria deaths figures of 2000 by 2010. The country has achieved a 74 percent reduction.
Zimbabwe is currently gearing itself for disbursement of the Round 8 of Global Fund phase 2 disbursements as well as applying for the Round 11 grant. The applications for the Global Fund grants are carried out at country level and all stakeholders have to come together to come up with a national blueprint. Zimbabwe is not eligible to apply for a malaria grant in Round 11.
Online Reporter