Malaria is a severe disease that spreads when an infected female Anopheles mosquito bites a person. The mosquito transfers plasmodium parasites to the person’s bloodstream
There are about four Plasmodium parasites; P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. These mainly target the Red Blood Cells.
Africa has the highest death ranking ranging between 80% t0 90% of the total worldwide malaria death cases each year and this mainly involves children. In Africa, about $12 billion is spent on prevention, treatment, and premature death each year.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Malaria is mainly associated with Fever and sweating, Headache and muscle aches, Fatigue, Chest pains, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea, and vomiting.
HOW CAN WE FIGHT MALARIA?
The threat of malaria in Africa has caused a lot of misery and calls upon a combined effort in fighting it. This can be done by fighting the high population of mosquitoes in Africa through:
- Clearing bushy areas near homes as these act as hideouts for mosquitoes during the day. This would distort their habitat and cause a decrease in their population.
- Drying and clearing off stagnant water near homes. Stagnant water provides a breeding area for mosquitoes and thus clearing it would cut off the breeding and decrease the population of mosquitoes.
- Burning empty tins which could trap water and provide an alternative breeding site for mosquitoes after clearance of stagnant water.
- Educate the mass about the proper use of mosquito nets. Instead of sleeping under the mosquito nets supplied by Government and NGOs, most people especially in villages of Africa cut mosquito nets into tinny elongated pieces which then they use to construct houses. Besides that, people also use mosquito nets to fence their small vegetable gardens at home in the fight against destruction by domestic animals. In the end, people sleep in an open environment giving a chance for mosquitoes to access them easily while asleep.
- Africa can adopt the use of mosquito repellent soap. Mosquitoes cannot breed in stagnant water containing residues of mosquito repellent soap and thus this would decrease the population of mosquitoes
CONCLUSION
The fight against malaria will become successful if only the world combines efforts to fight against it and improve the health facilities in Africa for effective treatment.