Kabompo records increase in malaria cases

Kabompo district has recorded an increase in malaria cases in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year. District Health Information Officer, Graham Mafulo said the district recorded 134 cases per 1,000 tested candidates in the second quarter last year but this year cases have increase 396 per 1,000 people tested in the same quarter. Mr. Mafulo disclosed this in a presentation during a district malaria task force meeting in Kabompo today. “Kabompo has recorded a rise in malaria cases from 134.5 in quarter two in 2019 to 396 per 1,000 people tested in all age groups”, he said. Speaking at the same event, Kabompo District Commissioner, Patrick Kasoka implored the task force team members to ensure that they implement planned interventions in combating malaria as the rise in cases is worrisome. Mr. Kasoka, who is also District Malaria Task Force Chairperson, said government is encouraging a multisectoral approach in development implementation in all sectors and malaria elimination is not left out. “I implore you to be proactive and work together to fight malaria as it is not a one man show. “The government of his excellence the President of the Republican of Zambia, Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu has taken a multisectoral approach in implementing development, thus all sectors need to move together without leaving anyone behind”, he said. Mr Kasoka encouraged all task force members to lead by example in the communities by ensuring that they control vegetation which harbour mosquitoes in their residents. “I am encouraging you to lead by example, let us control the vegetation around our residents so that people can follow suit. “How can you who is in administration plant maize in your yard and yet you want someone in Indeco not to plant maize”, he said. Meanwhile Kabompo District Stakeholders Association Chairperson, Rodgers Chinyemba appealed to the local authority to be proactive in enforcing sanitary conditions through the public health office by ensuring residents do not plant maize or other crops on their premises. Mr. Chinyemba said it is disappointing to observe that even after making resolutions in past meetings discouraging people from planting maize at their residencies, people are still planting as a normal practice. “I earnestly appeal to you, the council, to ensure that people do not plant maize in their yards. “Please do your work as the public health office has not been very active in this regard”, he said. And speaking earlier, District Health Director, Mumba Kahilu called on the stakeholders and the local authority to find a way of coming up with a by-law which will penalize all those abrogating malaria elimination interventions such as indoor residue spraying (IRS) as malaria continues to be a serious challenge. “The acceptance levels of malaria elimination interventions such as IRS are very low in the townships. “Why can’t we as stakeholders and the council come up with a by-law that can help us control some of the resistors to these interventions as resources keep being wasted”, Dr. Kahilu said. ZANISThe Sun