A total of 3.7 million malaria cases have been recorded so far last year in Rwanda, health officials revealed Tuesday.
This was according to an update at the preparatory meeting of the Kigali Summit on Malaria and NTDs that will take place on the sidelines of the 26th Commonwealth Head of Government (CHOGM) meeting to be held in June this year in Kigali, Rwanda.
Reports said the summit will be the first-ever global gathering to uniquely discuss Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The summit will also call on world leaders to meet the CHOGM 2018 pledge to halve malaria by 2023 and deliver the political and financial commitments of $1.5 billion to end the scourge of neglected tropical diseases.
Latest figures from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted in 2015 show that simple malaria cases increased from about a million in 2012 to 4.5 million in 2016 rise while severe malaria cases increased from 9,000 to 17,000 during the same period.
However, reports indicate that total malaria cases dropped to below four million by end 2018 following the malaria contingency plan that was put in place in 2016.
With the introduction of Home Based Management of Malaria (HBM) for both adults and children through Community Health Workers, malaria patients are being diagnosed and treated early in Rwanda.
Dr Aimable Mbituyumuremyi, the Malaria and Other Parasitic Diseases Division Manager at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) told reporters recently that with the introduction of Home Based Management of Malaria (HBM) for both adults and children through Community Health Workers, malaria patients are being diagnosed and treated early.
“HWs are receiving malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests and Antimalarial Drugs so that they can easily provide services to those in need,” he said.
CU/as/APA