Mozambique: Cabo Delgado ruby miner aided 9,407 local malaria cases in 2018/19

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Mozambique: Cabo Delgado ruby miner aided 9,407 local malaria cases in 2018/19

7:14 CAT | 04 May 2021

File photo: Lusa

The Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) company in Cabo Delgado has registered and assisted some 9,407 cases of malaria between 2018 and 2019 in communities near the project, as part of its social responsibility programmes.

The figures relate to at least 10 communities in the administrative post of Namanhumbir, where the company owns 34,000 hectares of concession for ruby mining, according to a company note.

“Whenever health officials identify positive cases, patients have access to free healthcare and medicines. We have also taken the initiative to provide mosquito nets, distributed through our mobile health clinics, as a form of mitigation,” it said in the document.

The assistance to communities is provided through two mobile health clinics in the administrative post of Namanhumbir.

“The mobile clinics enabled the local health authorities to distribute a total of 181 mosquito nets to pregnant women at their first prenatal consultation, in the communities of Chimoio, Mpene, Mpunho, Namahaca, Nanhupo, Nassimoja, Nsembia, Nsewe, Nthoro and Ujama, during 2020,” the MRM added.

Notifications of malaria cases and deaths are the most recorded by the health system, but actual cases and deaths are generally much higher, according to the latest report on malaria in the world published by the World Health Organization (WHO) four months ago.

Mozambique is reported to have recorded around 15,000 malaria deaths in 2019, placing it as the fifth country in the world with the most deaths, accounting for 4% of all malaria deaths globally.

Source: Lusa