Zambezi Health Director Woita Kapumburu says malaria cases have continued to increase weekly in the region since the beginning of March.
Kapumburu made the remarks at Nakabolelwa, the seat of the Kabbe South Constituency, where a belated TB Day was commemorated today.
Kapumburu says more than 2,000 cases are reported per week just in the central and western sides of the region, in areas such as Sibbinda, Choi, Sesheke, Sangwali, Chetto, and Masokotwani, as well as Katima Urban, which is a serious concern.
So far, more than 400 people have been admitted to hospital.
"To date, 412 people have been admitted, and unfortunately, we have recorded nine deaths as we speak. In terms of what we have done, as early as the 20th of February, we deployed teams that respond to the outbreak. Then, at the beginning of March, we initially had some staff members on the side; there were twelve, and we decided to deploy them. We also received about 17 staff members from other regions. Among these 17, we have three medical doctors and nurses."
Kapumburu says that given the situation and the approval of 11,000 vacancies, the Zambezi Region managed to recruit 165 staff members.
He said the recruits who just started their work have been deployed to various health facilities to help contain the malaria outbreak.
Kapumburu is happy that with the new recruitments, the region is above 80% of its target for nurses required.
"We are hoping that as winter starts, we will see cases going down. Part of the challenge that could have led to this outbreak was that we had a lot of refusals during our spray campaign. Many structures either had community members refusing us to spray, or some would tell you, 'You can always come tomorrow,' and if you go there the following day, the structure is locked. A lot of structures were always locked, but during this current response, we are also still going around. We are spraying structures. We are grateful that the community is somehow opening up."
Kapumburu further highlighted that the Zambezi Region reported 403 cases of tuberculosis during the 2024/2025 financial year, noting that the fight against TB is far from over.
"Unfortunately, 11 deaths were recorded. Our treatment success rate for the Zambezi health directorate stands at 88%, which is an achievement."
He reminded the community that as the region commemorates World TB Day, all stakeholders must continue to be vigilant with a collective effort to eliminate the disease.
He encouraged residents of the region to report to the nearest health facilities for treatment and malaria tests, given that the region reports malaria throughout the year.
Kapumburu says that as part of the response strategy, the teams are ready to make follow-ups to the families and villages where malaria cases are reported.