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Sharon Buwerimwe, Chronicle Reporter

GOVERNMENT has said malaria deaths have gone down by 38 percent while confirmed cases have decreased by 57 percent due to increased access to health facilities in areas prone to malaria outbreaks.

In an interview on the World Malaria Day on Thursday, Ministry of Health and Child Care national malaria programmes director Dr Joseph Mberi said the fight against malaria has resulted in a decline in both recorded deaths and cases from 2010 to 2018.

Dr Mberi said 6 161 million nets have been distributed for free to communities residing in malaria risk areas during the same period.

He said eight regional countries facilitated the setting up of five clinics along the border with Mozambique and South Africa to increase access to health services by people living in those areas as well as travellers.

“Eight countries which are Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique funded the setting up of clinics along the border so as to reduce the rate of malaria outbreaks in Africa,” he said.

In a tweet on its official tweeter page, the Health Ministry said the fight against malaria has resulted in a 57 percent reduction of confirmed malaria cases from 617 175 in 2010 to 264 278 cases in 2018.

The Ministry said deaths have declined by 38 percent from 310 in 2010 to 192 in 2018.

It said 47 malaria districts in the country have been sprayed consistently with effective insecticides to protect more than seven million people residing in these districts.

The Ministry, however, said the burden of malaria remains high in border provinces particularly those along the Mozambican border which are Manicaland, Mashonaland East as well as Mashonaland Central provinces. — @sharonbuwe