Isoka malaria cases keep rising

MALARIA cases in Isoka district are still rising despite various interventions by Government and other stakeholders, council chairperson Charles Simukoko said yesterday.

Mr Simukoko, who is also Isoka District Malaria Task Force (D-MATF), attributed the high malaria cases to the abuse of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) and to the refusal by some community members to have their homes sprayed during the Inside Residual Spraying (IRS) against malaria campaign.

Mr Simukoko said malaria cases in Isoka especially the township were still on the rise because of the serious abuse of mosquito nets and the refusal by some residents to have their homes spayed, a situation which would hinder the eradication of the disease by 2020.

He said Malaria was a dangerous disease which was still the major cause of morbidity especially among pregnant women and young children in the district.

It was disturbing that some people were using ITNs to fence their gardens, for fishing and fencing poultry houses, he said.

‘‘It is very disappointing to note that some community members were using treated mosquito nets for fishing and fencing gardens and not for the intended purpose resulting in a continuous rise of Malaria cases despite various interventions that government and stakeholders are putting place at a huge cost,’’ Mr Simukoko said.

Mr Simukoko appealed to community members to report anyone found misusing mosquito nets.

“People should know that government is carrying out these programmes like Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and mass distribution of mosquito nets to reduce malaria incidences in our communities, therefore ITNs should be put to good use,” he said.

He said the use of ITNs was one of the strategies government was using to fight malaria, hence, the emphasis for people to sleep under the treated nets.

“My appeal is that lets us allow spray operators to spray our homes and embrace other preventive strategies that government is putting in place to reduce incidences of malaria such as the use of mosquito nets,” Mr Simukoko said.