GAUTENG- Faith Mazibuko has urged Gauteng residents to take extra precautions during the winter season to prevent burn-related injuries, especially among children and elderly people. The Gauteng Department of Health warned that the unsafe use of heaters, paraffin stoves, candles, open fires and electrical appliances often leads to serious accidents during colder months. The department also cautioned against using braziers, commonly known as imbawula, inside poorly ventilated rooms or leaving them unattended due to the risk of burns, carbon monoxide poisoning and death.
The warning forms part of National Burns Awareness Week, observed from 5 to 9 May 2026. According to the department, one of Gauteng’s busiest burns units recorded 743 paediatric burn admissions in 2024 and 2025, with most cases linked to hot water, flames and electrical injuries. Between January and April 2026 alone, 116 children were admitted for burn injuries. Residents were advised to keep children away from hot liquids and flames, avoid leaving fires or cooking unattended, and seek immediate medical attention for serious burns.
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