THE Southern Africa Regional Network (SARN) has urged communities to continue the fight against malaria, saying although there had been a reduction in the number of deaths from the disease, there was need to do more. Ruth Ngwenya Own Correspondent
SARN regional co-ordinator Colonel Kaka Mudambo said there had been an impressive regional decrease in malaria rates and urged communities to continue using prevention methods.
“The current situation in our region is very encouraging. We are supposed to report on the achievements made on Millennium Development Goals,” he said in Victoria Falls yesterday.
“There has been great achievement in the region as malaria cases have been reduced by up to 65%.
“The number of cases now range between zero and 350 per 1 000 people being infected.”
Mudambo said during this year’s annual Malaria Day festivities to be held today at Monde Primary School, 10km from Victoria Falls, communities would be encouraged to keep up the fight against the disease.
“We are expecting around 50 to 80 people from the region to attend as almost all the people attending this joint meeting of Sadc Health ministers and ministers responsible for HIV and Aids will be there,” he said.
Mudambo said SARN targeted building the capacity of community leaders as they are the ones who live within communities and interact with them on a daily basis, putting them in a better position to encourage them to support and participate in malaria activities.
