An ongoing malaria outbreak in Zimbabwe continues to worsen. A disease surveillance report from the Health and Child Care Ministry for the week ending May 11 reported 11,030 new cases and 33 deaths, bringing the total to 73,207 cases and 253 fatalities. The worst affected province is Mashonaland West, with 47 deaths and an overall case fatality rate of 0,33%. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the surge in cases is putting pressure on the healthcare system, especially in rural areas. Moreover, the need to fight malaria has diverted resources from other essential health services, including child health programmes, immunisation, and chronic disease management. The outbreak is also having a significant social impact, increasing absenteeism from work among adults and from school among children.
Although malaria is endemic in Zimbabwe, the current outbreak is larger than previous ones, with higher transmission rates and an increased mortality. The IFRC believes this may be due to gaps in preventive measures such as insecticide-treated net coverage, effective case management, and disease surveillance. Challenges such as deficiencies in vector control and delays in seeking treatment also contribute to the spread of the disease. To overcome these issues, the IFRC calls for stronger awareness campaigns, timely diagnosis and treatment, and improved partner collaboration at a provincial level. Targeted interventions are also required in severely affected districts to prevent further transmission and reduce death rates. In this sense, indoor residual spraying and the distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets remain crucial in reducing transmission among rural communities, the most disproportionately affected by the outbreak.
