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Millions of poor children under the age of 5 suffer from malaria. The tremendous, periodic fevers, the pain and dizziness of malarial pain not only leave the children weak, but the fever is also the major cause of chronic weakness and long term physical disability in poorer children. Pregnant mothers who have malaria run an even greater risk, not only of maternal mortality, but also of fetal mortality, deformity and general weakness.
Malaria can be prevented. Malaria can be prevented with a few simple precautions. Malaria is not a naturally occurring parasite in the human body, nor is it a part of the human diet or anything that we absolutely need to survive. No, malaria is caused by mosquito bites, and if only people could stop themselves from being bitten by mosquitos, malaria could be eradicated.
People take to various measures in tropical countries to prevent mosquito bites. Most of these are reactive rather than proactive measures. Measures include using anti mosquito cream on the body, burning incense like substances that emit fumes to keep mosquitos away, electrically operated device that vaporize and spread anti malarial liquids, other electrically operated devices that emit ultrasound waves to keep off mosquito, and of course, the ubiquitous mosquito net. Each measure has been developed to counter some problem with another measure. Skin creams, for example, are not strongly preventive of mosquitos; so incense sticks are used. But these are highly unhealthy for humans, hence the electric devices are used. But these too are unhealthy; moreover, poor countries cannot rely on electricity always. Hence, it seems, that the mosquito net is the safest device there is, until one remembers that nobody can live under a mosquito curtain all their lives. Hence, the need for proactive prevention.
Well, the most important proactive measure is, of course, not to let water stagnate anywhere in the vicinity. The reason is, stagnant water keeps mosquito larvae alive, which become adult anopheles, the malaria carrier mosquito. Barring this measure, clearing up swamps and spreading larvae killing liquids on water can be very good measures.
