Mash West Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has introduced an emergency rectal artesunate malaria pill to reduce deaths and complications arising from failing to get medical attention on time. The intervention is expected to help people living in remote areas where patients die on their way to hospital or at home because they live far from health centres.

Patients administered with the pill, which is inserted into the rectum will be immediately revived as they wait to get to a health centre.

Speaking at a sensitisation workshop for health workers in Karoi on Thursday last week, Hurungwe district senior community health nurse, Mr Remender Gunguvu, said many people are dying of severe malaria on their way to medical centres before diagnosis and treatment.

“Most people are not aware of malaria symptoms and mostly mistake it for common colds or flue and that is why we are experiencing a high number of malaria deaths in our society,” he said.

“Owing to ignorance, we are losing lives while some die on their way before they even reach the medical facility. Health workers should educate people on malaria symptoms so that they take appropriate measures.”

The pill to be administered by village health workers will help to stabilise the patient before they get specialised care at a medical facility.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care conducted the workshop to educate village health workers on malaria case management in the community.

Mr Gunguvu also urged the health workers to adhere to the country’s malaria case management policy which requires malaria test using rapid diagnostic tests or microscopy only.

He said this would help in treating the right disease.
“It is important to know the national malaria case management policy in Zimbabwe, which states that all suspected malaria cases need to be confirmed either by RDT or microscopy before malaria medicines are given,” he said.

Some of the symptoms that can help diagnose severe malaria include temporary loss of memory resulting in some people failing to recognise relatives or known people, convulsions, loss of appetite and continuous vomiting.
Other symptoms include passing dark urine, small amounts or no urine at all, anaemia and jaundice.

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