About Malaria

Malaria

–JOSEPHINE OLAKANYE

Malaria is a serious disease caused by the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito that is already infected by tiny parasites called plasmodium parasites.

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It was discovered by Alphonse Laveran a military doctor in France’s service de santé des armees (health service of the armed forces) in 1880 at the military hospital in Constantine (Algeria).

And in 2015 Tu Youyou a Chinese woman discovered artemisinin, a drug used to treat malaria which has saved a lot of lives since its discovery.

World Malaria Day is held every 25th of April annually.

In 2022, Nigeria, Africa biggest Economy, was ranked with the highest burden of malaria globally, with 27% of the worldwide burden, and today 97% of Nigeria’s total population is at risk of this disease.

Malaria is more common during the rainy seasons from July to November although malaria itself is all year round.

It is more common during the rainy season because most places will be damp and waterlogged therefore providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes to multiply and flourish.

If properly treated malaria is not supposed to surpass two weeks maximum and if handled with levity it will recur from time to time.

Causes

Malaria is caused mainly by a bite from an infected mosquito.

However, aside from an infected anopheles mosquito bite, malaria can be transmitted via blood transfusion, shared use of sharp objects contaminated with drops of blood, and organ transplant.

How do you know if you’re infected with malaria or if someone around you is?

Some of the symptoms of malaria include the following:

Shaking chills (cold)
Headache
Body soreness
Muscle aches
Tiredness
Nausea
Vomiting
Loss of appetite.

If these symptoms persist, kindly visit the Hospital near you.

How to fight against Malaria

Use of mosquito net
Wear covered clothes.
Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy
Use of insecticides at home
Eliminate anything that can hold water in your environment. (Unused buckets, containers, gutters, etc.)
Keep your home clean and arranged.
Make use of mosquito coils& vaporizers
Use insect repellant on exposed skins (if at all
Sensitization – especially in the local areas
Eliminate any items that collect rainwater that you do not need.
Avoid dark clothing when in mosquito-filled areas.

Amongst so many others…

Malaria is not the type of illness that can go on its own; it requires proper treatment by professionals or doctors.

But there are some homemade remedies that can help , and they include:

Eating soups or stews to help regain lost vitamins.
Fruit juice
Coconut water and lots of water to keep hydrated,
Some vitamins like vitamin C and A have proven to be effective alongside vegetables.

(Vegetables like; – beetroot, carrot, papaya, grapes, lemon and orange, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and the popular lemon grass amongst others.)

Effects

One major effect aside from the illness is that if not promptly treated, it may cause anemia and jaundice because of the loss of the red blood cells.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS:

Below are some common assumptions that are very wrong and should be noted and not believed…

Malaria isn’t fatal –

Actually, it is so fatal that in 2021, 619,000 people died of malaria illness worldwide.

I’ve had malaria recently so I’m immune –

False because according to Passport Health USA, being infected once does not make you immune to the bite of another infected anopheles’ mosquito.

Malaria can indeed resurface and infect a person for the second time.

If you stay long in the sun, you will get Infected-

This is nothing but a false myth because the only thing that can cause malaria is the bite of an infected anopheles’ mosquito.

I’m staying in an Air-con room, it will protect me from mosquitoes – Although your air conditioner will not kill mosquitoes, they tend to prefer a warm atmosphere compared to a temperature that’s below 50*F.

If you take an anti-malaria tablet you can be assured that you will not get infected – this is false because No antimalarial drug is 100% effective.

It’s only a bite, it’s not enough to cause malaria – most times, and all it takes to get infected is a single mosquito bite.

If my neighbor is safe, so l am – you and your neighbor do not share the same immune system so this is false.

That it spreads only during the rainy season is false – It is an all-year-round illness and although it peaks during the rainy season, it affects the dry season as well.