Kasese district health officer Dr. Yusuf Baseke, has blamed the rise in malaria cases in the district on heavy rains which have created breeding areas for mosquitoes.
Speaking to Nile Post over the weekend, Baseke noted that the malaria prevalence in the district is higher in Vanilla growing sub counties as many farmers and their children spend nights out in vanilla gardens guarding the crop against thieves.
“Those who are looking after their vanilla at night, this exposes them to the risk of the mosquito bite while they are looking after their vanilla,”he said.
He cited some of the areas with high increase in malaria which include: Kyondo, Kisinga among others.
Gerald Muhindo ,the health information assistant at Kyondo health III said: “We suspected 1528 people with malaria and we had to send them in the laboratory and out of 1, 528 we confirmed 871 positive cases,”
He said the available malaria tablets were to be distributed within one week.
He urged the locals to guard themselves against mosquito bites by sleeping under treated mosquito nets, avoid taking children to vanilla gardens at night and seeking medical attention.
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