The Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, on Saturday, January 4, urged for redoubled efforts to effectively deal with malaria as cases of the mosquito-borne disease are on the rise in some districts. He delivered the message through a post on the ministry’s X page, indicating that the districts in question include Gasabo, Kicukiro, Bugesera, Gisagara, and Nyamagabe. Ubutumwa bwa Minisitiri @nsanzimanasabin ku bwiyongere bwa Malariya mu turere tumwe na tumwe: 1. Imibu itera Malariya isigaye iruma abantu hakiri kare, mbere y’uko bajya mu mazu. 2. Ubwororokero bw'imibu bugenda bwiyongera. 3. Malariya iravurwa igakira, ariko kudakoresha... pic.twitter.com/D0ZibQz8C2 — Ministry of Health | Rwanda (@RwandaHealth) January 4, 2025 “Malaria is a disease that has been there for a long time. But, it is obvious that there are districts in which it has been increasing. Therefore, we should act urgently to avert its recurrence as a major epidemic,” he said, adding that it is a disease that, without diagnosis and treatment three days after infection, the affected person can die. ALSO READ: Rwanda: Malaria cases down by 88% in 2023 Key figures about malaria disease in Rwanda, and districts with increasing cases According to data from the ministry on the malaria situation in Rwanda, there was a 90 per cent reduction in malaria cases between the fiscal year 2016/2017 and 2023/2024 (from 4.8 million to 620,000 cases), and a drop in malaria-related deaths from around 650 to 67 was recorded in the same period. ALSO READ: Rwanda on track to achieve zero malaria in 2030 However, as per the data, a progressive increase in malaria cases was noted from January to October 2024 compared to January to October 2023 (630,000 cases compared to 432,000 cases). In October 2024, 89 per cent (or 100,000) of all 112,000 cases recorded nationwide, were concentrated in 15 districts. Of the total cases that month, 58,000 cases (52 per cent) were registered in only 25 sectors from seven districts; Gisagara, Bugesera, Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyanza, Nyamasheke, and Nyagatare. Mosquitos are adapting On the factors for the increasing number of cases in some districts, Nsanzimana said that the ministry realised that as people carry out indoor spraying to expel mosquitos from their houses, and use mosquito nets to protect themselves from the malaria-carrying insects, mosquitoes are adapting. Their adjusting to the current conditions includes a shift in their biting behaviour (from indoor to more outdoor biting) exposing people who stay some hours outside during the night, according to the Ministry of Health. “We realised that mosquitoes are now biting people early, before they even enter the houses [in the evening]. This results in them getting the disease, yet, they have [and sleep under] mosquitos at home,” he said. Breeding grounds on the rise According to the minister, mosquito breeding grounds are increasing due to human activities in various areas, citing construction sites, [drainage] channels, and anywhere water can stagnate. This, he said, contributes to the multiplication of mosquitos by allowing them to lay eggs and hatch, hence causing malaria. “We should make greater efforts than we did in the past. You should not allow water stagnation near your home, even though it is a bottle cap,” he said, adding that one cap can be a breeding ground for 2,000 mosquitoes. Ways to deal with the issue Nsanzimana called for concerted efforts to clear bushes and prevent water stagnation that encourages mosquitoes to lay eggs, pointing out that this is a major contributor to fighting malaria. While malaria is curable, he said, the disease’s adaptation to treatment or self-medication can lead to drug resistance. “We have new drugs we procured to supplement the already existing ones so that there won’t be resistance to the medicines we were using in treatment,” he said. He added that the country was scaling up the capacity of community health workers so that they further contribute to the treatment of malaria. He recommended actions including eliminating stagnant water around people’s homes, seeking proper treatment at the first sign of symptoms, and avoiding self-medication. The disease's symptoms include fever, headache, joint pain, and sometimes, diarrhoea
