LUANDA, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in Lubango, the capital of Huila Province in central Angola, said that the city has been recording over 1,000 malaria cases weekly, much higher than the normal range of 100 to 150 cases a week.
The numbers are expected to remain high until the first week of April, Lubango Municipal Health Director Anita Catihe said Wednesday.
The surge in malaria cases is attributed to climatic factors and the water level in rivers.
The health department has issued a warning and urged people to take preventive measures, Catihe said.
Lubango has a population of about 1.5 million.
According to the World Health Organization, malaria, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of certain types of mosquitoes, claims the lives of over 600,000 people every year, with 95 percent of the deaths occurring in Africa.
In Africa, more than 80 percent of malaria fatalities are children under the age of five. ■
