Kinshasa: Prevention recommended as the best treatment for malaria

Kinshasa, June 24^th, 2025(CPA) – Prevention was advocated on Tuesday in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the best treatment for malaria, during a conference organized at the Bel Campus technological university on the theme of ‘the physiopathology, diagnosis and treatment of malaria in the DRC’. ‘We recommend prevention as the best treatment for malaria. This involves the use of impregnated mosquito nets, environmental sanitation, and the use of vaccines, which have already been introduced in some of the country’s health zones, notably in the province of Kongo Central’, said Dr Hippolyte Situakibanza, the speaker. ‘This day has enabled future doctors who are currently studying at the Faculty of Medicine to take better care of malaria. We also showed them how to diagnose and treat malaria in all its forms (simple and severe)’, he added. According to the lecturer, the aim of the day was to raise awareness among healthcare staff of the need to treat malaria more effectively, in line with new scientific advances. In his view, children under the age of five and pregnant women are more vulnerable to malaria because of their low immunity.  ‘For this reason, these two categories need to be rigorously monitored, to avoid serious consequences and complications such as abortion, premature delivery, anaemia and so on’.  The DRC is one of the countries most affected by this disease, which remains the leading cause of death, particularly among children. 21,695 malaria-related deaths were recorded in the DRC in 2024, according to statistics released by the National Malaria Control Program (PNLP).