Kigali: Over 10,000 People Diagnosed with Malaria

By The Inspirer.

A total of 10,399 people from 15 sectors of Kigali City have tested positive for malaria, as health authorities intensified efforts to diagnose and treat the disease following its recent surge.

On April 21, 2025, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) and community health workers, launched a new campaign to detect and treat malaria after a significant rise in cases in Kigali.

According to a report shared on RBC’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, the campaign involves a process where a health worker diagnoses a patient and immediately reports the case to relevant authorities.

Within three days, health officials visit the malaria patient’s household to screen all cohabitants and offer early treatment to anyone found carrying the parasite.

By the seventh day, the family is given advice on how to address possible causes of the infection within their household environment.

RBC data shows that from April 21 to May 18, 2025, 10,399 people were diagnosed with malaria out of more than 34,000 individuals screened in their households across 15 sectors of Kigali. These malaria-positive cases represented 30% of those tested. In total, 50,147 household members were assessed, while 14,787 were identified as primary patients diagnosed outside this specific screening campaign.

On April 25, 2025, during World Malaria Day commemorations, RBC warned of the growing daily incidence of malaria in Rwanda, with Kigali City topping the list in terms of new infections.

RBC also announced the introduction of a new malaria treatment drug across Rwanda. This new medication will be used especially for severe cases or those resistant to Coartem, the current first-line treatment.

The drugs being introduced include dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAP) and Pilamax, both approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for malaria treatment.

In addition to new medications, Rwanda is implementing multiple malaria control strategies, such as indoor insecticide spraying, distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, public awareness campaigns, and drone spraying in marshlands to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted through bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

Common symptoms include fever, chills, sweating, headaches, nausea, and vomiting—typically appearing two to three days after infection.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria remains one of the deadliest diseases globally, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America. In 2022, an estimated 249 million people were infected, with over five million deaths recorded.

Rwanda has made significant progress in fighting malaria. RBC’s 2022/23 report showed that in just five years, malaria cases dropped from 5 million to 600,000, and malaria-related deaths decreased by 89%.

Rwanda has committed to eliminating malaria completely by 2030.