Chad: "alarming" rise in Malaria cases

An emergency operation is under way in the Salamat region of Chad after an "alarming" rise in cases of Malaria. A Medecins Sans Frontieres team working in the town of Am Timan was alerted to a sharp increases of cases of the disease by government officials in July, but the sudden rise has not been officially recognized as an outbreak. A health adviser for Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said: "More than 80% of people who are coming for consultations are coming because they are infected with Malaria, normally its 30% - 40% at this time of year", adding: "It is now the top illness diagnosed in our clinics and that is unusual for this area". According to the MSF organization, a quarter of deaths in Chad are attributed to malaria and it is the most common cause of death in children. Figures from the World Health Organization show over 650,000 people died around the World from malaria in 2010; most of them children in Africa. It is not yet clear why their has been a sudden increase in cases in Chad, but MSF Doctor Dr Piening says that the fact most people in the region of Salamat have no access to life-saving drugs or simple mosquito nets may be part of it. He said: "They are a nomadic population. The best way to protect yourself against malaria is to sleep under mosquito nets, that can stop 60% of the transmission", but he adds: "Most people in these areas don't have bed nets. They sleep in the open or in little huts so are very vulnerable".