Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. The

Southern African Development Community (SADC)

commemorates Malaria Week to create awareness about

malaria and to mobilize the community to participate in the

malaria control programmes.

The fight against malaria can be won if the

community is mobilized through health

education to:

• Recognize signs and symptoms

­ It takes 10 days to two weeks for

the infected person to start

getting sick. Malaria symptoms

include fever, headache, body

pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.

­ Healthcare practitioners should

consider malaria as a differential

diagnosis in all patients

presenting with unexplained fever

(body temperature above 38°C) and

flu-like illness, especially in the

presence of a change in the level of

consciousness and/or progressive

jaundice, even in the absence of a

travel history to a malaria-endemic

region.

• Seek treatment when they become ill

­ If malaria is not treated within 24-

hours of the first symptoms, it can

progress to severe illness or death.

Therefore, prevention – or at the

very least, early diagnosis and

treatment – is so important.

• Use personal protective measures

SADC Malaria Week

6 - 10 November 2017

• Malaria is caused by a parasite

that lives only in female

Anopheles mosquitoes and the

Malaria parasite is found in red

blood cells of an infected person.

When this mosquito bites an

infected person, a small amount of

blood containing microscopic

malaria parasites, is taken in. When

the mosquito bites another person,

these parasites mix with the

mosquito’s saliva and are injected

into the person being bitten.

• Malaria can therefore be

transmitted not only through

Anopheles mosquito bites, but

also through blood transfusion,

organ transplant, the shared use

of needles, or syringes

contaminated with blood.

• Malaria may also be transmitted

from a mother to her unborn

infant before or during delivery

(“congenital” malaria).

• Malaria can be transported in a

vehicle or luggage and people

visiting a malaria area may become

sick when they get home.

Eradication of malaria is one of the World Health

Organizations priorities and member countries

are encouraged to keep to the recommended

malaria control program. South Africa have a

mature program that is based on indoor

spraying with long-lasting insecticides, the

control of mosquito breeding sites and the

provision of the most effective drug therapies.

The program has been rigorously kept for

decades and malaria teams from the Limpopo

Department of Health are fully operational to

perform the indoor residual spraying as a major

control intervention in at risk communities.

Contact us

Momentum, Meersig Building, Second Floor, Centurion, 0157

Head Office: (011)803-3538, www.ocsa.co.za

Awareness of the risk of malaria such as

the risk rating for the country; the season

(during the rainy seasons the risk is higher)

and time of day because mosquitoes are

more active at dawn and dusk.

Bite prevention by mechanical and

chemical means. Closed doors and

windows, mosquito nets, air conditioners,

fans and covering up with long sleeved

loose-fitting clothing, long trousers, socks

and closed shoes stops mosquitoes from

getting to the skin. Most barriers can also

be impregnated with insect repellents to

double the protection and insect repellent

can be sprayed on the skin.

Chemoprophylaxis is antimalaria

medication that forms part of protection

against Malaria. It is not 100% effective

and even if you take it exactly as advised

(which is essential), it does not guarantee

that you will not get malaria. Commonly

used medication is chloroquine,

doxycycline, proguamo; atovaquone and

mefloquine. Since the parasites show a

changing pattern of resistance it is

important to seek advice for each new trip

abroad.

Diagnosis of and treatment for malaria

should be considered for any person who

develop fever (high temperature),

headaches, breathing problems or flu-like

illness between one to four weeks after

travelling to an area where malaria is

present. A blood sample is send to the

laboratory to determine the presence and

type of malaria parasites. Treatment can

be at home or in a hospital, with one or

more types of medication. The treatment

may leave the person feeling very weak

and tired for several weeks afterwards.

Summer rains in South Africa

triggers conditions favourable for the

Anopheles mosquito. These

mosquitoes occur naturally in the north

-eastern parts of Limpopo bordering

Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Malaria

Week is commemorated in November

to mark this annual malaria

transmission period.

Although malaria cases was confirmed in potential

malaria areas such as Gauteng, the North West and

southern Sekhukhune during the first six months of 2017,

these cases do not mean the malaria transmission areas

in South Africa is expanding. Malaria may occur if

conditions are favorable for mosquitos (high ambient

temperatures and rainfall occurring).

www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/malaria-has-not-expanded-sa

www.who.int/malaria/en/

www.bayer.co.za/en/sadc-malaria-week.php

https://patient.info/health/malaria-leaflet/malaria-prevention

www.cdc.gov

WHO/S. Hollyman

Bed nets have to be changed once every 3-5

years.