MALARIA SURGE, HEALTH SYSTEMS BUCKLE

Nov 16 , 2024.

Malaria, a persistent threat in rural areas, is resurging with alarming intensity in 2024, exposing deep-rooted systemic issues aggravated by climate change and inadequate health infrastructure. In the past three months alone, the Ministry of Health has reported nearly 2.9 million cases, a staggering 200pc increase compared to the same period in previous years. The public health crisis places three-quarters of the population at risk. Hospitals across affected regions are struggling to keep pace. Jinka General Hospital alone reported 2,655 confirmed cases in three months. Medical doctors blame the inconsistent drug supplies and scarce blood donations as critical hurdles such as logistical and financial constraints that leave patients without proper treatment and overwhelm healthcare facilities already stretched thin.

According to experts, climate change is amplifying the crisis. Altered weather patterns have led to increased rainfall and warmer temperatures, expanding mosquito breeding grounds and extending the lifespan of the insects. State Minister for Health Dereje Duguma says warmer temperatures allow mosquitoes to transmit the parasite over a more extended period. This weather shift complicates efforts to control malaria, particularly where preventative measures have waned and infrastructure is lacking. Social factors compound the problem. Young men, often travelling long distances for work at night when mosquito activity is highest, are among the most affected. Health experts cite the inadequacy of housing in rural areas. Apathy toward preventative measures like bed nets and insecticides has allowed mosquitoes to thrive unchecked, heightening the spread.

Despite efforts to curb the resurgence, including appeals for the global malaria vaccine and increased distribution of insecticide-treated nets, difficulties in combating malaria persist. Conflicts, such as in the Amhara Regional State, where over 80,000 new cases were reported in one week, disrupt healthcare services and supply chains. However, experts who urge collective actions like draining stagnant water and consistent use of bed nets deem community involvement crucial to battle against a disease that continues to claim lives, particularly among the most vulnerable.

PUBLISHED ON Nov 16,2024 [ VOL 25 , NO 1281]

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