- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has alerted a high malaria transmission in Southern Africa region this season. The world health body has therefore asked travellers to malaria-prone countries in the region to take preventive treatment before they travel.
"Malaria transmission levels from November 2007 to May 2008 are expected to be above normal in most parts of Southern Africa," WHO said.
"In East Africa, the period from October to May constitutes an important part of the rainy season whereby malaria transmission and epidemics can occur," it said, adding that in Southern Africa, the heavy rains and likelihood of flooding in certain areas from December on have a possibility of increasing the risk of malaria transmission in many the region.
Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Madagascar are among the highest risk malaria countries. But travellers to countries with season malaria - Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Kenya and Eritrea - are also advised to take preventive malaria treatment.
Malaria - a disease caused by mosquito - is a major public health disease that kills an average of 4000,000 annually in Southern African region. Africa limps with 80% of the world's malaria burden.
In 2006, South Africa joined the countries that supported and continued to use dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) to address malaria in three of its affected provinces - KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. This had led to the significant reduction of malaria cases in the country.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español