What is malaria?
Malaria is a common, yet deadly, tropical disease caused by a parasite. Humans contract malaria when they are bitten by a mosquito carrying the parasite, which is then injected into the bloodstream. There are four species of parasites that cause malaria in humans. The most common species in Africa is the Plasmodium falciparum species, which causes the most virulent and potentially deadly form of the disease. The Plasmodium vivax species, causes a recurrent, episodic, but not life-threatening form of malaria. The other two species are Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae.
Malaria is a public health problem in over 100 countries in the world. Approximately 40% of the global population – two billion people – live in areas where malaria is a constant threat.
How many people get malaria each year? How many die?
Estimates range from 300-500 million cases of malaria each year. Ninety percent of those cases are in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
One million people die from malaria each year. Three-quarters of all malaria victims are children. Malaria takes the life of 3,000 children each day in Africa.
What are the symptoms of malaria?
Malaria symptoms typically appear 10 to 16 days after the infectious mosquito bite, when the infected red blood cells begin to burst. Victims experience flu-like symptoms, including chills, fever, sweating, along with nausea, headache, and vomiting.
The most virulent form of the disease – the P. falciparum malaria (found predominately in Africa) – can be fatal within a matter of hours if not treated.
Who is most vulnerable to malaria?
Young children are most vulnerable because they have not build up any protective immunity, and without immunity, the infections tend to be more severe and life-threatening. Pregnant women are at-risk because their immune systems are weakened by pregnancy. People suffering from other diseases and conditions that affect the immune system, such as malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, or anemia are also vulnerable.
How does malaria affect children?
Over 40% of the world’s children live in places where malaria is a constant threat. Most children die from malaria because they do not get effective treatment. The most severe form of malaria – cerebral malaria – will cause convulsions, coma, and death in 93% of children affected. The seven percent who survive are left with permanent neurological problems, such as epilepsy, blindness, weakness, speech problems, and significant cognitive development problems.
The most common cause of death from malaria among young children is the severe anemia which results from repeated infections. This occurs when inadequate treatment causes a failure to fully clear the parasites from their systems. Additionally, infants born to women who had malaria during their pregnancy tend to be of low birth weight or premature, both of which decreases their chances of survival during their first years.
How is malaria treated?
One of the most difficult aspects in treating malaria is the increase of drug-resistant parasites that have rendered traditional antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), ineffective. However, a very promising development in anti-malarial treatment is Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT). Artemisinin is a compound derived from the sweet wormwood plant and has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever. By combining artemisinin with two or more drugs that act differently and have different targets in the body, the potential for resistance is delayed. The World Health Organization recommends ACT as the front-line treatment for malaria, and major pharmaceutical companies and governments are working together to increase production and reduce the costs of these drugs.
Can malaria be cured?
Malaria can be cured with prompt diagnosis and correct drug treatment. But there is a double-burden of increased drug resistance and limited access to health care in many of the most malaria-prone areas. Prevention is the key to saving lives.
Do people become immune to malaria?
Yes, people who have survived malaria infections typically develop partial protective immunity. This is the case with most adults living in high-transmission areas such as sub-Saharan Africa.
How can malaria be prevented?
The front line of defense in preventing malaria is the use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLITNs), which simultaneously provide a protective covering for the body while releasing chemicals to repel and kill the infection-carrying mosquitoes. Recent technology has dramatically improved nets by infusing the insecticide in the netting material, making the nets effective for up to five years. The traditional nets had to be treated every six months with insecticide, a practice that was hard to maintain and was often neglected. These new nets, called long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLITNs) marks a new era in fighting malaria.
How do the LLITNS work?
The nets are hung over beds or mats. Most nets cover three people. The net protects people from being bitten by mosquitoes at night. The insecticide will kill those mosquitoes that come in contact with it, as well as repel and reduce the number of mosquitoes that enter the house. Research has shown when nets are used by three-quarters of the people in a community, not only does the incidence of malaria infection decrease, but the actual mosquito population drops by as much as 90%.
The insecticide used in the the PermaNet Vesterguard nets distributed through NetsforLife is deltamethrine. This insecticide is believed to be superior to the conventional permethrine used in re-treated nets.
Is spraying for vector (mosquito) control considered a safe practice?
Yes. In recent years, scientific evidence has validated the safety of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), the application of long-acting insecticides including DDT on the walls and roofs of houses, public buildings, and domestic animal shelters in order to kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes that land on these surfaces. However, there are places where IRS is ineffective and should not be used. Integrated prevention including training, LLITNs, symptom recognition and environmental management are extremely effective in combating malaria. NetsforLife’s targeted population lives in rural areas, where homes are sometimes made of mud which absorbs insecticide.
What is the global community doing to fight malaria?
NetsforLife is part of a growing constituency of non-governmental organizations, governments, humanitarian and religious institutions focusing on combating malaria around the world. To provide a coordinated global approach to fighting malaria, the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership was launched in 1998 by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. The RBM Partnership’s goal is to halve the burden of malaria by 2010.
Controlling malaria will contribute significantly to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which all 191United Nations Member States have pledged to achieve by 2015. In addition to reducing the disease burden, a successful fight against malaria will have far-reaching impact on child mortality, maternal health, and poverty, which in turn may increase global stability. |
