- SC Johnson donates 40 000 mosquito repellent units
Health authorities in the Okavango District are hopeful that a newly introduced mosquito repellent initiative will help reduce malaria infections following a rise in cases linked to the ongoing heavy rains.
The district recently received 40,000 mosquito repellent units, which were allocated entirely to the Okavango region due to its consistently high malaria infection and death rates.
The innovative mosquito spatial repellent intervention has been introduced in partnership with SC Johnson Company in the most affected district, Okavango. The intervention complements existing malaria control measures such as Indoor Residual Spraying and Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets and is expected to enhance protection for communities at the highest risk of infection.
In an interview, Deputy Council Secretary for Primary Health Care Dr Bakwena Moali explained that the Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) programme, which began in October last year and ran until mid-February, faced major challenges due to lack of cooperation from residents.
“We did not manage to spray many homes because people do not comply. Some residents refused while others were not at home to allow the teams to enter their houses and spray despite prior notice,” she said. Due to these challenges, the spraying campaign only managed to achieve about 40 percent coverage.
Dr Moali said the newly introduced initiative of installing mosquito repellents in houses has already received positive feedback so far from residents, raising hopes that it will help curb new infections. She added that the installation exercise is expected to continue until March 14, with priority given to villages reporting the highest malaria cases. She said the repellent will last for 12 months.
Meanwhile, Moali said malaria cases started increasing from the second week of January before beginning to decline around week seven.
She revealed that the district has so far recorded 490 malaria cases, with most infections reported in villages located on the other side of the river. Hotspot villages with the highest number of cases include Kauxwi with 42 cases, Sekondomboro with 36, Ngarange with 33 and Xakao with 10 cases.
She said JP Kavindama Hospital in Shakawe has recorded the highest number of cases as most patients from the hotspot areas seek treatment at the facility.
Additionally, Dr Moali noted that diarrhoea remains another common health challenge during the rainy season, particularly affecting children under the age of five.
“We had situations where cases increased, especially last year, but fortunately no children were lost. The district has now developed mechanisms to better anticipate and manage water-borne diseases and ways to mitigate them,” she said. Dr Moali said the diarrhoea situation in the district is currently under control.
