Covid-19 screening and testing will be integrated into malaria response to mitigate the recent spike in deaths and cases, with the death toll hitting 205, so far this year.

This would mean capacitating community health workers who are instrumental in malaria response in most rural communities to screen and test for Covid-19 and providing them with personal protective equipment.

The consideration followed challenges noted by Government that were prompted by the outbreak of Covid-19, although malaria so far remains the most dangerous.

Statistics on malaria availed by Government showed that deaths shot up from 127 between January 1 and April 23 last year to 205 in the same four months this year.

Similarly, cases have also increased from 117 715 last year to 203 964 this year between January and April.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the World Malaria Day today, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said Zimbabwe had made great strides in reducing the burden of malaria in central and southern western parts of the country and was now concentrating on the eastern and northern parts, which border Mozambique and Zambia.

He said malaria incidences had gone down by about 83 percent from 36 per 1 000 people in 2 000 to 22 per 1 000 people in 2019.

Similarly, Dr Moyo said mortality had declined by 75 percent from 1 069 deaths in 2003 to 266 deaths in 2019.

He said 28 malaria endemic districts were already recording less than five cases per 1 000 people — a stage referred to as pre-elimination.

“However, these gains are being threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic, a disease which has common initial symptoms to malaria, which include fever, headache, generalised body pains and weakness,” said Dr Moyo.-State media