AfricaPress-Tanzania: FREE distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets and space spraying have contributed to Tanzania’s achievements in the war against Malaria as latest data indicates the prevalence has dropped from 14.8 in 2015 to 7.3 in 2017.
As Tanzania joins other World Health Organisation (WHO) member states to commemorate World Malaria Day today (April 25, 2020), a press statement issued by Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children said, new cases of the killer disease have dropped to 19 percent.
New cases fell from 150 in 2015 to 122 in 2019 per 1,000 population, according to the Ministry.
Stressing on “Zero Malaria Starts With Me” movement, Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu in the statement said, “Malaria related deaths have dropped by 67…from 6,311 deaths in 2015 to 2,079 in 2019.”
The Minister said free distribution of 6,936,202 insecticide-treated bed nets to special groups in 14 regions is among factors that boosted government’s efforts to curb the disease.
She has named regions where the nets were distributed freely in primary schools and health clinics are Coast, Morogoro, Lindi, Mtwara, Ruvuma, Katavi, Tabora, Kigoma, Mwanza, Geita, Mara, Shinyanga, Kagera and Simiyu.
