Panama confirms first malaria death in indigenous community

Panama City, Dec 12 (Prensa Latina) Panama's Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre on Monday reported the first malaria death case in the indigenous community of Guna Yala, east of the capital.

December 12, 2022
17:50

Sucre explained that past December 8 the patient was taken to hospital with some health complications and passed away three days later.

So far this year, Health Ministry´s Epidemiology Department has reported as many as 5,710 cases of malaria, and the Guna Yala region and Darien and Panama East provinces are the regions with highest incidence.

Since 2020, Panama has been part of a Mesoamerican regional initiative aimed at eliminating malaria, and is currently developing a strategy with acronym DTIR (detection, treatment, investigation, response) for each case; however, more and more cases are being reported.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the first common symptoms of malaria are fever, headache, chills, and vomiting; usually appear 10 to 15 days after infection.

Pll/jcm/ga