The senior manager in the Department of Health and Social Development in Limpopo Province, Dr Matome Masipa, has called on SADC countries to join hands in fighting malaria within the region.

He was addressing the gathering during the annual South African Development Community (SADC) Malaria Week launch in Zimbabwe at Chamnangana Village in Beitbridge district, on Friday. "We are saying there is a need for us SADC countries to share the malaria challenges and hence we must join hands to tackle this deadly pandemic, which is threatening our region as a whole and the world at large. Malaria is not only Zimbabwe or South Africa’s problem, but it also affects Mozambique, Zambia, Lesotho and other SADC countries and that is why we are hosting this SADC Malaria Week as a region," he said.

Masipa said Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland-South province and the Limpopo Province continue to enjoy good relations. The two provinces signed a memorandum of understanding under the Limpopo Trans-frontier Spatial Development Initiative, aimed at spearheading development and exploiting business opportunities along the corridor.

"Malaria is a killer disease and this is not questionable, and therefore we will continue to conscientise our people about its dangers," Masipa said. He said it was unfortunate that the region has not been able to tap natural resources such as plants fully, which he said were good repellents. "We only need a bit of some research to be fully aware of the potential that these plants have in repelling mosquitoes."

This year, the focus is on scaling up indoor residual house spraying with insecticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT).

The awareness campaign is aimed at encouraging communities in the malaria-infected areas to allow spray teams to access their homes in order to spray. Indoor residual house spraying plays a significant role in reducing the vector density responsible for transmitting the parasite that causes malaria.

SADC Malaria Week has been commemorated since 2001 as sub-regional strategy in pursuance of the Abuja Declaration of 2000. Every year during the second week of November, SADC countries observe this day. However, this year’s main commemorations were held at Windhoek in Namibia.

Zimbabwe is set to import 70 tonnes of DDT to strengthen its ongoing programmes to combat malaria. Sixty tonnes will be shipped from Mauritius, while 10 tonnes will come from South Africa.

The World Health Organisation’s representative, Dr Everisto Njelesani, said that in the past, DDT received negative publicity because of unsatisfactory handling and disposal of its waste. "It is pleasing to note that SADC countries have overcome this barrier and both the WHO and United Nations Environment Programme are convinced by the malaria programmes in the region," he said.