Polokwane - As malaria season approaches, the Limpopo Department of Health aims to spray a million houses in the province.
Though malaria is more prevalent in the Mopani and Vhembe regions during the rainy season, it has recently been reported in other districts and the department is determined to cover as many areas as possible.
According to the department’s spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana, there will be an increase in the number of households sprayed between August and February.
“We are targeting a million households. Vhembe and Mopani remain our focus, but our efforts will spread to other districts because we have seen cases in areas which were not traditional malaria areas,” said Shikwambana.
“We have put together 42 malaria spraying teams and we will also employ over 300 seasonal sprayers,” he said.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) recommends regular indoor residual spraying in malaria risk areas to control malaria mosquitos.
Limpopo’s MEC for Health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, recently held a meeting with a delegation from the national department of health to discuss the increase of malaria in the province.
During the meeting, the MEC called for more resources from both the national department and the private sector. “We are receiving massive support from the national department of health, but I am unable to disclose how much we are going to spend for now,” said Shikwambana.