Health workers at the reproductive clinic in Mingkaman Town, Awerial County, in Lakes State have expressed concerns about an increase in miscarriages by pregnant women in the area in August and September.
This issue was revealed by clinical officers over the weekend during the Community Connect Health Program.
Andrea Kuol Wuoi, a reproductive health officer in Mingkaman, told Radio Tamazuj on Saturday that 375 women were treated of malaria from August to mid-September. He added that at least 20 women miscarried and lost their babies to malaria in the area within a period of 2 months alone.
“Most cases of miscarriages were from women who had pregnancies of four months and below because in this period the pregnancy is weak and can be affected by high fevers as a result of malaria which is prevalent in Lakes State,” he explained.
Kuol also attributes the high rate of malaria infections to flooding and the community’s ignorance of the use of treated mosquito nets.
“What we tell them is to prevent firstly the disease before it attacks severely, use mosquito nets, and make an early visit to the health facility for early check-up and treatment,” he advised. “This will prevent cases of women getting sick and losing their children. So, I say that if you feel like you are sick, you need to rush to the health facility as a woman.”
The health officer urged the community to make it a collective responsibility that pregnant women do not miss their monthly antenatal routines for early identification and treatment of diseases that threaten pregnancy.