Monday, 12 September 2011

Over 2,500 Webuye locals suffer from Malaria weekly




Written by Rosemary Wachiye
2011-07-14 16:22:00
Read 475 Times
A Webuye resident receives a mosquito net during the governments nationawide net distribution exercise. [Phot/Rosemary Wachiye/WestFm]
Malaria is among the leading killer diseases in Bungoma East district, a senior health officer in the district has revealed.
This revelation comes in the wake of distribution of Mosquito treated nets across the country in a bid to curb the deaths associated with the disease.
A routine survey carried out in the area by the District Surveillance Officer from the Webuye District Hospital Mr. Samuel Malenya; found out 1,118 adults and 1,076 children under the age of five years had been reported to have suffered from the disease for the week ending July 9, 2011.
According to Mr. Malenya, the government had tried to implement the domestic spraying in homes but it was not as effective as had been expected thus the decision to issue treated nets to Kenyans.
He also added that children under five years and expectant mothers are more prone to contacting the disease and that is why previously the government used to give priority to them in issuing of treated mosquito nets.
The statistics within the same week show that 4 children under five years died of malaria while adults infected with the infection got well after treatment.
Mr. Malenya refuted the fact that issuing of nets to the residents is the ultimate solution to preventing malaria infections and instead suggested that apart from issuing nets the government should organize for health education to the people so that they can be taught on how to make proper use of the nets.
He said that it had come to their notice that people never use the nets for the rightful purpose but instead use it for other purposes like fencing of nursery beds, flower beds among other activities not intended for.
Mr. Malenya warned the citizens from just speculating of suffering from a certain disease before going to the hospital to be tested and confirm what they are suffering from.
“Citizens should always go to the hospital lab to be tested so that they can know what they are suffering from before taking medicine because in most cases they just speculate but they may not be having the disease,” said Mr.Malenya.
“The symptoms may be like that of malaria but it may not necessarily be malaria they are suffering from, people should come to hospital and be tested first before taking any medicine,” said Mr.Malenya.
Mr. Malenya quoted that in the recent research, children under five years who were taken to the hospital claiming to be suffering from malaria were 888 but after testing only 589 were diagnosed to be having the disease.
He has set two weeks period after the issuing of nets in the region and a survey will be done to check if there will be any changes in the malaria infection rates in the region. He hopes that the malaria infections will reduce but if it doesn’t health education will be applied.
“If the malaria cases will still be on the lead after the two weeks we will have health education on public barazas to train people on how to protect themselves from malaria infecting mosquito,” said Mr. Malenya.

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