Own Correspondent|Eight people have died in Gwanda South District in Matabeleland South since February this year from what villagers describe as a strange disease which Ministry of Health insists to be a malaria outbreak

About 60 cases have been recorded so far.

The outbreak has caused panic in the area with the villagers linking the fatalities to the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).

Speaking in a media interview, Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director (PMD) Dr Rudo Chikodzere allayed fears insisting that the death were not caused by the deadly pandemic.

“Yes I can confirm having received 58 cases of malaria related symptoms.

Out of the 58 cases there are 8 deaths.

“The deaths were recorded between February and April 2020. As the ministry of health we were 100 percent satisfied after conducting the tests that it was indeed malaria,” said Dr Chikodzere.

The PMD attributed the cause to the moderate rains received last year.

“We expect cases to peak in June due to the rainy weather that provided a conducive breeding environment for mosquitoes. Because of the rains received, there is tall grass, which is blooming, there are puddles of water that is stagnant. The grass needs to be cut and water bodies tested and if there is mosquito larva, it has to be killed,” Dr Chikodzo said.

She noted the province has implemented several activities as intervening measures.

“We are dealing with breeding sites as soon we can, putting treatment where there can be potential infection of the disease. We are carrying out bio- larva sighting where we identify breeding places and use chemicals to destroy the lava,” the PMD cited.

Dr Chikodzo highlighted that under case management, communities were urged to come for testing as quickly as possible.

“The malaria test kits were distributed across provinces and those with signs must be tested and put on treatment. The challenge is some come later when the disease has progressed to severe malaria,” she said.

“The truth is that there is no Covid-19 case in this province. All the suspected cases we tested came out negative and for now I can say the province is safe from Coronavirus,” she said.

A community leader in the area who spoke to ZimEye.com however challenged the Ministry to prove that indeed the deaths were were not Coronavirus linked by doing Coronavirus tests and not malaria tests.

He questioned why the Ministry and funeral parlours are insisting on quick burials, no mourners and other such Coronavirus related measures if it’s one hundred percent that the deceased died of malaria.

“What we want is for the Ministry to come to the ground with Coronavirus Test kits and test for Coronavirus and provide with conclusive results that the affected people are not infected by the virus,” he said.

“We are also more worried because officials from the Ministry have come down in motorbikes to educate us more about Coronavirus and how we must handle sick people and the dead according to Coronavirus guidelines not according to Malaria guidelines. As a community we strongly believe that government is not genuine with us,” he added.

The World Health Organisation has emphasised the critical importance of sustaining efforts to prevent, detect and treat malaria during the Coronavirus era.

“As COVID-19 continues its rapid spread, WHO would like to send a clear message to malaria-affected countries in Africa,” said Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme. “Do not scale back your planned malaria prevention, diagnostic and treatment activities. If someone living in a place with malaria develops a fever, he or she should seek diagnosis and care as soon as possible.”