Africa | The Cure and Prevention of Diseases

Nothing But Nets Campaigned Designed to Aid in Reduction of Malaria Cases

Malaria is a disease that is caused by Plasmodium, a blood parasite that is transmitted via mosquitoes. The disease, Malaria is named from the two Latin words for “bad air” mala and aria. This disease is responsible for anywhere from 350 million to 500 million illnesses every year. Over one million deaths (mainly seen in children under the age of five) are caused by this illness.

Particularly prevalent in Africa, ten new cases of Malaria are detected every second. Every 30 seconds a child in Africa loses the fight to Malaria and dies. Refugees in Africa also fall victim to Malaria often.

Nothing But Nets is working in collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency in an attempt to send much needed bed nets which have been pretreated with insecticides. The effort has gotten the nets to over one million refugees in 15 countries throughout the continent of Africa.

Forty percent of the world population resides in countries that are malaria ridden. Treatment of Malaria puts a huge strain on the health care systems in the public health facilities of these countries. Deaths from Malaria cost African countries a significant amount of money each year due to lost productivity among workers and the cost of deaths. Malaria causes a decrease in tourism, hinders foreign investment, and affects the production of crops.

In many areas Malaria is under control, in some places in Asia, Europe, and the Americas instances of Malaria are completely eliminated. As the parasites evolve in Africa they are merely becoming more and more resistant to drugs, therefore the number of malaria infections have increased.

Bed nets help with Malaria by creating a barrier of protection against mosquitoes carrying the deadly malaria parasite. These insects tend to bite during the night time hours. Bed nets protect the individuals using them for up to five years.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Health Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, Margaret Chan, Plasmodium

What are the symptoms of Malaria?

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An individual contracts malaria when they are bitten by a mosquito carrying the plasmodium parasite. When an individual is bitten plasmodium enters the blood stream. The result of this bite could potentially be symptoms that range from moderate to severe, and sometimes ends in death. Malaria causes 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths each year.

Symptoms of Malaria

When an individual contracts Malaria they will experience attacks of symptoms in intervals ranging every 48 to 72 hours. There are typically three stages to a malarial attack an individual first experiences the cold stage, then they enter into the hot feverish stage, and then finally ease into the profuse sweating stage.

During the cold stage an individual will be incredibly cool, as a result the individual might shiver, and get a severe headache and an incredibly cold feeling body temperature.

In the hot phase an individual will eel incredibly hot and desire to shed any and all clothing or covering. This is occurring due to an intensely high fever (often times getting up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit.) This is incredibly dangerous, especially in children.

After both of those pass an individual will begin to sweat. When an individual’s fever sets heavy sweating begins. The sweating can become incredibly serious soaking the bed and the area around an individual. During this time the subject will feel weak and desire increased amounts of sleep.

These are all symptoms of malaria as they progress in stages. An individual who has been infected by malaria in the past is nearly immune to contracting the disease. So a mosquito bite is not as terrifying or risky. However this is not true of an individual who is not immune to malaria. An individual with no immunity will easily fall victim to the disease if bitten or infected via blood transfusion, needle sharing, or organ donation.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Health Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, Mosquito, Symptom

Malaria Diagnosis and Treatment

Malaria disease occurs when an individual is bitten by a mosquito carrying the plasmodium parasite. Malaria is currently the reason for anywhere from 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths each year. The majority of these cases occur in children.

An individual is diagnosed with Malaria after experiencing the three phases of symptoms the cold phase, the hot phase, and the fever phase. First the physician would conduct a risk assessment. An individual who had traveled to an area at high risk for malaria would be a prime candidate. 80% of individuals in sub-Saharan Africa will present with fevers and will immediately be considered malaria infected and will be treated for the illness until further tests can be conducted.

Treatment for malaria varies from individual to individual. Each infected party is different. First it depends on the pasmodium parasite which infected the patient, whether the individual is a child, an adult, or even a pregnant female), which drug the parasite is susceptible to. Typically it is determined which drug will be effective based on the area and environmental conditions of the patient and where they might have contracted the infection. Medications for malaria are doled out based on location and environmental factors. Malaria types vary worldwide.

Individuals who have been infected with P. falciparum could potentially lose their life. This is often times due to slowed treatment. It is important for individuals to be treated immediately for symptoms of malaria. Drug treatment isn’t simple for the worst cases of the illness. A patient would need to consult with a physician who is working in the area in which the malaria symptoms initiated.

Malaria is preventable utilizing protective measures such as insect repellent containing DEET, mosquito nets while individuals sleep, shutting all windows and doors during sleep, and additionally taking antimalarial medications pre travel to areas prone to the illness.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Diagnosing, Health Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Sub-Saharan Africa

Why Hygiene Is Very Important To Prevent Malaria

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Malaria is a disease that is caused by mosquitoes. If the mosquitoes are controlled, then Malaria can also be overcome. There are many people who try a lot of things to try and prevent the disease. They might use various protective methods like netting the windows in the house and other methods. This may help to prevent the mosquitoes that enter the house. If the same person goes outdoor, then the risk of the mosquitoes biting the person increases and this can lead to various instances of mosquito bites.

The best method that can be used to prevent the mosquito bites is to reduce the number of mosquitoes that are present. Though this is not a fool proof method as the mosquitoes may not die, they can be reduced in number. This is also the reason for the hygiene in a particular geographic area to be very good. Increased hygiene means that there will not be water stagnation. Drainage will improve and this can prevent the mosquitoes from breeding.

In many places, there may still be stagnation of water. In these water bodies, the introduction of gambusia fish will help to keep the mosquitoes under control because they feed on the mosquito larvae. If there is any water body present in a particular area, then the risk of Malaria will increase. So the single most important method that can help to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes is to make sure that the water bodies are covered to prevent the mosquitoes from settling in the water to lay the eggs. The life cycle of the mosquito can also be curtailed by the use of various medications that kill the larvae in the water. Though various methods of killing the mosquitoes and larvae are present, the improvement in hygiene that increases water drainage and hygiene remain the best method to overcome Malaria.

Filed Under: Diagnosing, Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, Mosquito

The Steps Taken By The WHO To Reduce Incidence Of Malaria

The World Health Organization has been taking various steps to ensure that the incidence of Malaria is on the decline. There are various methods that have already been used and there are more deadlines and initiatives that the WHO has issued to the countries that have a high incidence of Malaria.
There are some countries, mainly in the tropical regions that are very endemic to Malaria. The sad part about the disease is that in spite of the various developments and research in the field of health care, there has been a lot of deaths that have been reported in these countries.

The reason behind the severity of the disease is that people who are affected by the disease do not seek health care very quickly. The health care is also not available in some places that lead to various problems. The World Health Organization has made sure that the various countries have been given a deadline to reduce the incidence of the disease. This has given an impetus to the various countries to try and reduce the incidence of Malaria.

The main method that is handled by the countries to reduce the number of people affected by Malaria is the prevention. These aspects of prevention include the provision of various aids like mosquito nets and also mosquito repellents. Other than the provision of these aids, the other methods that are used by the countries with the World Health Organization collaboration is to provide medications in these areas where the disease is common. The medications are also given as a prophylactic to the people who seem to be at a high risk of the disease, especially in the season where the mosquitoes breed. In spite of all the efforts by the World Health Organization and the other countries, the incidence of Malaria and the associated complications are very high.

Filed Under: Diagnosing, Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, World Health Organization

Some Interesting Facts About Malaria

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Malaria is a common disease that is seen in specific areas in the world. There are some countries in the world where Malaria has been eradicated. Though Malaria may not be present in these countries, there is always a risk of Malaria affecting some people in these areas. There are some methods of making sure that this can be prevented too.

There are some very interesting facts that are related to Malaria. It has been found that more than 41% of the population living in the world lives in areas where there is a high risk of being affected by the disease. This leads to huge amount of money being spent on prevention methods and also various other health activities.

Each year, there are at least 300 million to about 500 million people who suffer from this disease. Of these numbers who are affected by the disease, there is also a very high death rate. The number of people who die because of Malaria is about 2.5 million people. The huge number of deaths makes one to understand the gravity of the situation. This is the reason for the various health organizations and governments trying to get rid of this public health problem.

Africa and certain parts of Asia are the places where the person is able to see a very high incidence of the disease. In Africa alone, it is said that more than 2700 people die each day. This works out to be 2 deaths every minute, just in Africa alone. In fact Malaria is such a very severe disease that it causes more number of deaths than many other disease conditions. Malaria comes at the number 4 spot as far as the number of deaths each year is concerned. These facts should make every person to understand the severity of the disease and the need to control it.

Filed Under: Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Africa, Asia, Malaria

Complications Of Malaria

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Malaria is a very common disease. In fact it is so common in certain parts of the world that it causes more deaths than other diseases. All over the world, about 2 million people die each year and it is the 4th most common cause of death in the world. The main reason for this grave situation is because of the severe complications that can occur in a person who suffers from this disease.

Malaria can be seemingly simple, but the fact is that there are four different kinds of Malaria and one of them is very sever that it usually causes death if it is not identified early and treated. There are also other kinds of Malaria that affect people which can lead to complications if the person is not treated properly. Though these types may not cause death, they too can lead to considerable number of complications.

The common complications that can be seen in a person who is affected by Malaria include hypoglycemia. This causes the person to sweat and go into shock. The reason is that the sugar levels in the blood decreases drastically leading to this complication.

Cerebral malaria is a complication of the disease. When the brain is affected by the Plasmodium parasite, it is called as cerebral malaria. In those who are affected by this type of malaria, there can be convulsions which can lead to permanent brain damage. This can also lead to lifelong disability in the affected person.

Severe anemia is another complication of Malaria. This is because the person who is affected by this disease will have the blood cells to be disintegrated by the parasite. Kidney problems leading to renal failure are also another complication that is seen in those affected by Malaria. There are also various other complications that occur in those affected by Malaria.

Filed Under: Diagnosing, Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, Plasmodium

Reason For Difficulties In Preventing Malaria

Malaria is a common disease that can lead to complications including death. The person who is affected by the disease should make sure that it does not occur again. Immediate treatment is also needed. There are various measures and methods that have been used by the various governments and health agencies in the aim of preventing Malaria. Most of these methods have fallen by the wayside because of certain logistical and other practical difficulties.

The main reason for many of the preventive measures failing is because of the sheer number of the mosquitoes that are present. There are so many of them all over the world that to make them stop biting a person is very difficult.

The climate conditions can lead to various changes in the number of mosquitoes. In rainy season, there is a sudden increase in the number of mosquitoes. This is also the time when the mosquitoes breed a lot. They bite so many people that people are commonly affected by Malaria in this season. Water stagnation will also increase in the rainy season casing the mosquitoes to breed very easily and effectively.

Travel by people is also another important reason for the number of people being affected by Malaria. The people cannot be prevented from traveling. To overcome this problem, the people should make sure that they take precautions while traveling. This is the only method that can be used. Most instances, the malaria spreads to a new area because of the traveling population.

Inaccessible places are the common areas where Malaria is common. Urban areas see very few cases of Malaria, but the numbers of people who are affected by Malaria in the rural areas are more common. The healthcare in rural areas is poor and ignorance in these areas also causes more instances of Malaria in these areas. All these reasons are the practical problems in preventing Malaria.

Filed Under: Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, Mosquito

Barriers that Effect Malaria Treatment in Kenya

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Malaria control is fully dependent on access to effective treatment and preventative measures. Unfortunately, very few infections are treated within a 24 hour period of time after contamination. Since 1980, there has been a massive movement of initiatives to improve access to treatment and other methods of malaria control in the sub-Saharan region of Africa.
There is a proven correlation between the poorest areas remaining less likely to seek treatment with the factors preventing them from seeing a doctor not fully understood. As of 2010, there is a crucial need to create a policy allowing these poor populations to reach necessary treatment. Kenya has plans to heavily subsidize these health medications.

Some of the most prevalent barriers that effect malaria treatment in Kenya include affordability, availability and acceptability. Approximately 40 percent of infected individuals that purchased store-bought treatment kits for self-administration and 42 percent that visited a health facility reported being unable to afford the medication. To raise the funds they borrowed money and used credit. Also influencing affordability is income sources, transport costs and unofficial payments.

Availability barriers relate to healthcare facility hours of operation, drug and staff shortages and the disorganization of the healthcare services. Finally, the acceptability barrier appeared to occur due to lack of education regarding the illness and treatment, distrust in the quality of healthcare, poor adherence to treatment regulations, patient expectations of the treatment and the relationship between the provider and patient.

Guaranteeing that all infected humans have access to effective malaria treatment is a major challenge for many areas of the world. Policies need to be designed and implemented regarding the previously listed barriers. Included is the method for revitalizing the public healthcare system. Malaria will continue to be a killer among the poor and underprivileged in the sub-Saharan region of Africa if no actions are taken in the near future.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Health Tagged With: Africa, Kenya, Malaria

New Preventative Tools for Malaria Control

Although the older tools; treated bed nets, artemisinin-containing combination treatments (ACTs), intermittent preventative treatment (IPTp) for pregnant women and residual spraying, have been working, researchers are continuously looking for further improvements while scaling up these proven methods.

Some of the newest preventative tools for malaria control include new vaccines and drugs, updated diagnostic tests, insecticide-treated materials and improved systems for the distribution of malaria control. Observing the operation of these controls, ensuring safety and effectiveness and validating collaboration with current methods are critical areas for efficiency of new tools.

One of the most important new tools is the rapid malaria diagnostic test which expands diagnosis of malaria to rural areas that have limited access to medical facilities. Learning about the limitations of current tests will help researchers develop more effective and efficient tests in the future. This will be accomplished by reviewing strategies based on mass screening and treatment of those that are healthy which could be utilized as a method to respond to isolated outbreaks.

The second tool is an improvement of an old, but effective method: insecticides. New technology has allowed for longer-use, wash-resistant bed nets as well as improved formulas for indoor residual spraying (IRS). One new use of these tools include, covering areas where mosquitoes may enter a residence. Also, the durability of nets to decrease the probability of holes is also being reviewed. Additionally, paints containing insecticide are being tested for use on the walls of houses and in buildings.

Health organizations across the globe have moved from basic research and development to applied research with the strategic initiatives to control or eliminate malaria. Paired with the massive research being conducted to find a cure, these new preventative tools are sure to save additional lives and help to further control the spread of malaria. As technology improves, these methods will continually progress until malaria is contained or completely eradicated.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Health Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, Mosquito net