Tshwane health urges caution when travelling, as malaria cases on the increase
In the period between January and September, Gauteng has recorded over 1 000 cases, with at least 11 fatalities.
JOHANNESBURG - The City of Tshwane's health department has warned that malaria cases have been rising in the region and safety precautions must be taken when travelling interprovincially.
South Africa's northern provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga are known to be endemic to the potentially fatal disease, however, it is the Gauteng health department that has seen the highest rise in malaria infections since the beginning of the year.
In the period between January and September, the province recorded over 1 000 cases, with at least 11 fatalities.
The national Department of Health announced earlier this year that it plans to eliminate the curable disease by 2023.
“The MEC indicated that the cases that are registered are mainly from Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. We urge our people that they need to be continuously cautious about the disease as South Africa has not been declared to be a malaria-free country," said the health department's Doctor Tshwale.
