The National Institute for Communicable Diseases says malaria cases have increased in South Africa following unusually heavy rainfall and recent flooding.
The organisation says most cases in Gauteng were imported from the malaria-endemic provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
The mosquito-borne illness has claimed 11 lives from 414 confirmed cases in Gauteng in the first three months of 2026.
The NICD says in a statement that, “While these figures are concerning and require increased public awareness and prompt healthcare action, most of these cases are imported”.
“The infections were acquired in the malaria-endemic regions of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, or through international travel to malaria-endemic locations, and diagnosed after individuals returned to the Gauteng province”, the institute says.
The institute has assured the Gauteng public that the province is not malaria-endemic, which means that malaria-transmitting mosquitoes do not occur, and that people infected with malaria cannot transmit the disease to others.
The latest Malaria risk map from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) shows the highest risk of Malaria infections being saturated in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. “Recent heavy rains and flooding across the region have increased malaria risk in endemic provinces in South Africa,” said the NICD.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported in February that there would be a “very high risk” of Malaria in South Africa due to the recent floods in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
INFOGRAPHIC | South Africa’s Malaria Risk Map
