More than 150 villagers have been killed by an onslaught of malaria in Nkasi District along the Lake Tanganyika shoreline in Rukwa Region.
The deaths occurred between January and March, this year. The Nkasi District Medical Officer (DMO), Dr Makundi Mazige, said this recently when presenting a medical report before a full council attended by councillors from Nkasi District in Namanyere town.
He said that 121 malaria patients were reported to have died in two health facilities along the shore of Lake Tanganyika in the district. According to the DMO the malaria outbreak statistics show that out of 6,798 patients who reported at four health facilities for medical treatment, 150 of them lost their lives.
Dr Mazige further explained that early this year 548 patients were treated for malaria at Korongwe Health Centre along Lake Tanganyika shoreline. Ninety-five of them lost their lives. During the same period 2,718 patients were treated for malaria at Namanyere health centre out of whom 29 died.
“At Kirando Health Centre along the same shoreline, 2,833 patients were treated for malaria and about 30 of them died. However, none of the 699 malaria patients who got medical treatment at Nkomolo Health Centre in Namanyere died, noted the DMO.
Dr Mazige told the gathering that of late the number of malaria patients reporting for treatment at those health facilities has dropped considerably following application of better malaria drugs and closer care.
By PETI SIYAME, Tanzania Daily News
