The Cecafa medical commission has confirmed that malaria epidemic has been a major threat to various team camps at the on-going Senior Challenge Cup in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The commission spokesman Elias Maige told Times Sport yesterday that reports from different camps claiming that their players are suffering from the epidemic are true.

"Many teams including Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda are losing out there players from playing the on-going fixtures due to malaria fever.

"We have confirmed over 20 cases from different camps and they are under medication.

The worst thing with this fever is that it keeps you out of action for close to five days and that is a loss to your country,” Maige said.

Some of the malaria fever patients include Rwanda’s influential defender Bonaventure Hategikimana, six players from Burundi including Allain Ndizeye, Karim Nizigiwimana, Jean Paul Habrugika, Abdallah Irambona, Suleiman Ndikumana and Abu Ndayisenga.

However, Uganda’s Andy Mwesigwa who was reportedly to have some fever also has improved and played yesterday’s quarter-final fixture against Kenya.

The other cases were reported from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia camps respectively.

Though Amavubi’s Hategikimana has been down for two days, he is likely to miss the rest of action so as to fully recover from the epidemic.

However, the Cecafa secretariat has promised to ensure a standardized medical facilitation at next year’s Challenge Cup so as avoid teams losing out on their players due to such epidemics.

The Cecafa medical commission is composed of four doctors including; Anthony Ngomme, Shecky Mgirazija, Hemed Mziray and Maige respectively.

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