From the APS special correspondent, Ndèye Suzanne Sy
Thiénaba, May 23 (APS) – Nearly 85% of malaria cases recorded at the health post of Thiénaba, a commune in the Thiès region, “are imported” and often concern travelers passing through the locality, notably truckers. , informed the head nurse of the health post of this religious city, noting that significant results have been recorded there in the fight against this disease.
“Of all the cases of malaria that we have in Thiénaba, 85% are imported cases,” Assane Ndione told journalists on a field visit to the locality, at the initiative of the Media Network for Promotion. of health and environment (Remapsen) and the organization Speak Up Africa.
According to Assane Ndione, these cases are recorded among transporters, breeders and travelers passing through the locality, which is also a religious city. But it can happen that patients returning from travel contaminate people within the local population.
“Once in the locality, the patient can contaminate a member of his family. In this case, it is no longer an imported case, but an indigenous case,” explained the head nurse of the Thiénaba health post. He gave the example of seasonal workers from the southern regions of the country but also from countries in the sub-region.
But although residents of Thiénéba continue to be affected by the disease, the fact is that the prevalence is decreasing, he stressed. In 2023, the health structure recorded only 23 cases of malaria, whereas upon its arrival in the locality in 2019, the consultation register reported more than 50 cases, just for the months of June and December , confided the ICP.
For his part, Dr Matar Ndiaye, chief medical officer of the health district, notes that between 2021 and 2023, malaria has really declined, going from 843 cases to 84 simple cases without complications.
Serious cases went from 72 to 2 cases, with a case fatality rate which fell from 4% to 0%, he added, welcoming the progress made in the fight against malaria. The Thiénaba health district has 182,553 inhabitants.
However, he noted a problem with the distribution of long-lasting impregnated mosquito nets (LLINs). “Indeed, due to the regression of the disease, populations are less attached to mosquito nets, using them less and less,” he explained. This underlines the importance of leading a communication campaign so that they continue to sleep under impregnated mosquito nets, he said.
NSS/ADL/ASG
 – Senegalese press agency){kind=link}