Mosquitoes : Malaria Patients Inundate Hospitals

Alex Bita is a 23-year-old boy who had been complaining of headache and fever for some days. His parents who are nurses administered him the necessary drugs of which he got better thereafter. Later, he relapsed and his health condition got worst. Alex was not just complaining of a general body discomfort as if he was going to be paralysed, but was also screaming in pain. He was immediately rushed to the Efoulan District Hospital where he was immediately put on treatment after medical diagnosis proved that he was suffering from malaria which had been poorly treated. Malaria, doctors say, is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that nearly 14,000 malaria deaths are recorded each year in Cameroon.
From January to June 2024, the Efoulan District Hospital has received some 1,217 cases of malaria patients. Sources from the hospital say majority amongst them are children, that is 662 amongst which 541 children between the ages of 0-5 years. 245 amongst the malaria patients are pregnant women. Within this period, the hospital has registered three deaths caused by malaria. The situation is not different at the Ahala Health Centre in the outskirt of Yaounde where malaria is the major cause for medical consultation. The Head of the Ahala Health Centre, Dr Ngono Hélène Valérie says over the past three months, the health structure has received 837 patients amongst whom 375 suffering from malaria. Amongst the patients are over 100 children between the ages of 0-5 years suffering from simple and complicated forms of malaria. According to statistics, Dr Ngono Hélène Valérie explained that the prevalence of...