The annual SADC Malaria Day was celebrated at a well-attended function held at Sanari Village, near Tshikondeni Mine, on Friday.

Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite that enters human blood through the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills and weakness. If not detected early, malaria can make a person very sick, or even kill the person. About 21 million people fall sick every year in the SADC region and around 300 000 die as a result of the disease.

This year, the focus is on indoor residual house spraying with insecticides, the main strategy for malaria prevention and control used in South Africa. The awareness campaign is aimed at encouraging the communities in the malaria-infected areas to allow the spray teams access to their homes in order to spray because indoor residual house spraying plays a role in reducing the vector density responsible for transmitting the parasite that causes malaria.

In this month, all the countries affected by malaria in southern Africa observe this day. The day came after all the SADC health ministers decided in 2001 that it is important for their departments to meet with the communities and officials to highlight interventions that are lacking in the fight against malaria. Each year, the national Department of Health chooses one province to commemorate malaria day. This year, Limpopo was chosen, with special reference to Sanari Village under the Mutale Municipality because malaria cases in the area were high, compared to the same period last year. For January to July this year, 546 cases were reported, compared to last year’s figures of 283 for the same period in the area.

On behalf of the national Minister of Health who could not attend the function, Limpopo’s MEC for Health and Social Development, Mr Seaparo Sekoati, said this year’s key message for the SADC malaria day is to protect families from malaria and encourage community members to let their houses be sprayed. "Indoor Residual Spraying is the most important and effective strategy for preventing malaria for our country. The evidence is that in South Africa, we have kept malaria transmission under control, using the strategy since the beginning of a formalized malaria control programme, which dates back to the early 1940’s. We need to remind you that you should comply with our malaria control programme by allowing our spray teams to spray your houses for the prevention of malaria. Remember, we spray houses to kill malaria mosquitoes so that we can prevent malaria transmission in our communities."

Sekoati added that South Africa has joined hands with the neighbouring countries in the fight against malaria. "We as government have taken a decision to join our neighbouring countries and the SADC region to address the issue of malaria. South Africa has been achieving good success in malaria control over the past five years; however, our neighbours in the north and east have not recorded the same level of success as we have done. You may ask why we should help our neighbouring countries when we should be focusing all our efforts here in South Africa. The answer is that if transmission is reduced in our neighbouring countries, we benefit because our health care facilities at the peripheral levels will not have to deal with huge numbers of malaria cases and our tourism sector will grow due to increased travel to new malaria-free areas. This is exactly what our malaria project has shown in the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative, with Swaziland and Mozambique. Therefore, helping our neighbouring countries is a win."

Sekoati encouraged community members to work day and night to win the war against malaria. "The malaria parasite does not sleep, not even during Christmas and it does not have a break. Therefore, when we are taking a break, the malaria mosquito takes the advantage and goes on the attack. I therefore urge all our health officials to ensure that there is proper planning in place, before the festive season starts. We must make sure that our epidemic preparedness and response plans are in place, that spray teams are on standby, clinics are well stocked with drugs and malaria test kits, so that increases in malaria cases can be appropriately dealt with. Malaria is a disease that can be prevented, treated and cured and no one needs to die from it."

The Provincial Medical Director, Matabelaland South Province in Zimbabwe, Dr JJ Ndlovu said: "We are only separated by political borders but our malaria programmmes are the same. In Zimbabwe, we are also preaching the same gospel of urging people to allow the spray teams to access their households. Together, we can succeed in totally eradicating malaria in the SADC region."

After the formal proceedings, MEC Sekoati led dignitaries to the nearby Mukomawabani village to launch the malaria spray programme officially.