The months of May and September are most popular periods for malaria transmission in South Africa. This is particularly in the low-lying border regions of the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo.
The regions that have been described as hotspots are Kruger National Park area, Vhembe and Mopani districts. Also Musina, Thohoyandou, and neighbouring areas in Limpopo.
According to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, the Notifiable Medical Conditions Surveillance System (NMC-SS) received a total of 5,813 malaria case notifications between September 2022 and August 2023. With 4,137 from endemic provinces and 1,676 from non-endemic provinces.
Malaria cases spiked in Gauteng in 2023
Despite these facts, the NICD reported a large increase in malaria cases in Gauteng in 2023. Many cases of severe malaria were caused by late presentation or detection.
“Odyssean or ‘taxi malaria’, transmitted by hitch-hiking mosquitoes, should be considered in a patient with unexplained fever. [Someone] who has not travelled to a malaria-endemic area. But is getting progressively sicker, with a low platelet count.”
They revealed that men (61%, 3,574/5,813) between the ages of 20 and 39 contributed to the majority of the cases.
Whereas malaria in children under the age of five years (8%, 461/5,813) was reported almost equally to those between five and nine years (8%, 458/5,813).
“In 2022, there was a notable surge of 5 million additional malaria cases compared to the previous year. [This is] totaling 249 million cases globally, with Africa bearing the brunt at 94%.
“The majority of the case notifications were from public healthcare facilities (91%, 5,311/5,813).”
Emphasis on monitoring
South Africa places a strong emphasis on using exact case monitoring data. This is to strategically target control and elimination actions as part of its elimination efforts.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has pinpointed various obstacles exacerbating this issue. These are climate change, dwindling funding, and inadequate implementation of crucial interventions.
Prevention of malaria involves avoiding mosquito bites. This can be done through measures like using insect repellent and sleeping under mosquito nets, said WHO.
“Medications are available for both prevention and treatment. Effectively managing mild cases and preventing them from becoming severe conditions. Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria persists as a significant public health challenge globally.”
