That one parasite has taken over for years- the female Anopheles mosquito causing a life-threatening disease and affecting the vulnerable in the community; children aged under five years, pregnant women and patients with HIV/AIDS, and a non-immune migrant.
A study done by the WHO in 2018 shows that an estimated 228 million cases of malaria were recorded worldwide with an estimated number of death cases standing at 405 000 in the same year. The disease transmitted to people through a bite by an infected female Anopheles mosquito has a considerable effect on the African countries but is, however, preventable and curable.
Malaria is caused by a plasmodium parasite and is spread to people through the “malaria vectors”.5 known parasites can cause malaria in humans. Two of these have the most significant threats; p. falciparum, and p. vivax. The p. falciparum accounted for 99% of estimated malaria cases in the African regions, and other situations presented at the South-East Asia region, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific. However, around 30 malaria vectors are important, and these take their chances and bite between dusk and dawn. The mosquitoes lay eggs in water, which later hatched into larvae and, finally, the adult mosquito.
PREVENTION
The most effective way to prevent and reduce malaria transmission is through vector control, which is done in two primary forms: indoor residue spraying and insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Antimalarial drugs can also be used to prevent malaria, mostly for travelers. With this, the only vaccine that has proven that it can significantly reduce malaria is the RTS, S. The vaccine acts against the disease in young African children. A year ago at a rural health facility on the outskirts of Lilongwe in Malawi was a mother and her baby girl- Gilimbeta and Lusitana were filled with both excitement and nervousness it being that they would be the first in the world to receive the RTS, S malaria vaccination through routine immunization as part of a landmark pilot project in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. Malawi’s vaccine launch was followed a few days later by Ghana and later in Kenya, where 275 000 children like Lusitana have received their first dose of the malaria vaccine.
SYMPTOMS
Malaria is an acute febrile illness, and in a non-immune individual, symptoms appear 10-15 days after the inactive mosquito bite. Symptoms vary from fever, headaches, and chills, and if not treated, may often lead to death. However, in children, severe malaria develops with symptoms like severe anemia, respiratory distress, or cerebral malaria. People may experience pains in the abdomen or muscles, fatigue, night sweat, shivering and sweating on the whole body, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting on the gastrointestinal areas, and finally fast heart rate and mental confusion, and pale skin.
After relocating to a new apartment, Jane Wangari, a mother from Nakuru-Kenya, learned the importance of adhering to malaria preventive methods. Soon after she arrived at her new house, she complained of fatigue, which seemed perfectly normal for a five-month pregnant lady. After all that lifting, it was bound to happen, She did not have any other symptoms at first, but days later she started to have fevers. Jane remembered that she was at her new house all through the time, she took no special precautions against malaria, so that was her first guess. She decided to visit her family doctor, who drew blood for a malaria test and prescribed an antibiotic while waiting for the lab results. Days later, her condition worsened, and she decided to visit the hospital where the doctors confirmed that she was indeed suffering from malaria. The treatment against malaria started, and they administered a combination of drugs used for malaria and known to be safe in pregnancy. During this period, Jane had a high fever and a cough with some difficulty breathing as well as nausea and vomiting. She recalls the doctors mentioning that they were worried about her baby, and yes, there was a need to. Jane later had a miscarriage, the healing process was hard for her, but she was finally discharged from the hospital and her health back to normal.”Getting a treated mosquito net is always my number one plan,ai take everything seriously, even the smallest of things-like a mosquito bite can really affect you. Always be prepared.
With the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic, a virus that caught the world off-guard,the nations will have a set back on their financial sectors hence affecting all the plans set for other diseases, malaria being on the front line. On its part, the WHO has also redirected resources meant to vaccinate against malaria, redirecting it to Covid 19. The WHO has also warned that malaria might take up to 70,000 lives if Covid keeps on taking funds.
Organizations like the bill and Melinda gates foundation have pivoted their whole focus to Covid 19, meaning several charities and programs they run in Africa face financial problems, including malaria, HIV, and polio eradication.