Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda’s Minister of Health has called on citizens to take proactive steps in the fight against malaria by eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.
In a message shared on June 9, 2025, via his official account on X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Nsanzimana emphasized the importance of destroying mosquito larvae before they mature and begin spreading malaria.
“Wherever you see stagnant water with small black insects—commonly called ‘imihini’—you’ve found a mosquito breeding site,” he said. “These are mosquito larvae, just days away from becoming adult mosquitoes. Removing stagnant water disrupts the mosquito life cycle and helps reduce malaria transmission.”
Mosquitoes go through four stages in their life cycle, one of which is the larval stage (commonly known in Rwanda as imihini), which occurs after the eggs hatch in stagnant water. Female mosquitoes typically lay their eggs on still water, such as in puddles, water-filled containers, or unused household items like basins and bottles.
Dr. Nsanzimana advised the public to eliminate standing water and destroy items that can retain it. He described these simple actions as critical steps in preventing new mosquito populations and reducing malaria risk.
According to the Ministry of Health, Rwanda has achieved a 90% reduction in malaria cases over the past seven years, with cases falling from 4.8 million in 2016/2017 to 620,000 in 2023/2024. Malaria-related deaths also dropped significantly—from 650 to just 67 over the same period.
To strengthen malaria treatment, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) recently introduced two new antimalarial drugs—Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAP) and Pyramax—to support the widely used Coartem, which has shown declining effectiveness in some regions.
