World Malaria Day 2024: Know Causes, Symptoms and Preventions
Do you know World Malaria Day has been celebrated worldwide since 2007 on the 25th of April? However, a question remains about why on April 25th.
“Bringing this information to light, this date was chosen because it coincides with Africa Malaria Day1, which was established by African governments in 2001 to highlight the impact of malaria on the African continent.”
Malaria continues to be a major health issue in Africa, causing many deaths and significant suffering among the population. It is noticed that malaria-free countries have 5 times greater economies, a 10% decrease in malaria equals a 0.3% rise in GDP.
“Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.” The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set out its goal for this year to make the world safer against malaria.[1]
What is Malaria?
Malaria is a life-threatening vector-borne disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite, which is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. When an infected mosquito bites a person, the Plasmodium parasite gets injected into the bloodstream through the mosquito's saliva. The parasite then travels to the liver, where it multiplies and matures before re-entering the bloodstream and infecting red blood cells.
Regions with hot and humid weather are more susceptible to Malaria, such as Africa, South Asia, Latin America, etc. Hence, early diagnosis and treatment for the disease are important for its prevention.
Causes
Five types of parasites can cause this disease, they are, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malaria, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium knowlesi. Malaria can be passed on through organ donation, childbirth, and blood transfusions.
Symptoms
Signs of malaria can be seen after 10 days to 1 month of being infected. A few of the symptoms of Malaria can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms are fever, chills, and headaches. Severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing. The mild symptoms of malaria can sometimes be misinterpreted as febrile illness as they are similar.
Prevention from Malaria
Malaria is curable and preventable. Prevention of malaria is possible by avoiding mosquito bites and proper medications. It can be achieved by the use of mosquito nets, mosquito repellents, full-sleeve shirts, and full-length clothes. Also, avoiding areas with still water and keeping mosquito fish (Gambusia), etc. can help prevent malaria. [1]
A healthy way to prevent malaria can be through fruits such as beetroot, carrot, papaya, sweet lime, grapes, berries, lemon, and orange. These fruits help detoxify and boost the immunity of the patient suffering from malaria and can also help people who live in malaria-prone regions.
Vaccines and Medications for Treating Malaria
WHO has recommended two vaccines that can help during a malaria disease. The vaccines are R21 and RTS, S/AS01. These vaccines have been clinically proven safe and helpful for malaria treatment but are advised to be taken on doctor recommendations only.
Chloroquine is a medicine that is highly recommended for malaria treatment in India. Artemther-lumefantrine (Coartem) is another medicine that is known for its fast effect during malaria’s interim oral treatment. They have been clinically approved for the treatment. A new drug for malaria treatment has been introduced, Krintafel, which helps prevent any malaria relapses.
Malaria’s Impact on the Worldwide
Malaria has caused havoc and suffering in the lives of people all around the world. In 2022, malaria death was calculated at 6,08,000, and over 240 million new cases around the world. Out of these findings, 94% of malaria cases were from the WHO African Region. This states how much deaths and suffering African citizens are going through.
Certain groups of people, like pregnant women, infants, and children under 5 years, are more prone to malaria. Refugees, migrants, internally displaced people, indigenous people, etc., are vulnerable to it. Pregnancy lowers a woman’s immunity, hence making them prone to malaria and causing a risk of being infected with severe other diseases and infections. If infected with malaria, a woman may suffer from major medical issues such as severe anaemia, maternal death, stillbirth, premature delivery, low-birth-weight babies, etc. [1][2]
Major Health Organisations and Their Initiative
Many major health organisations are taking initiatives to help prevent and treat malaria as it has become one of the rising concerns. India is aiming for a malaria-free country by 2030. The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has created the National Framework for Malaria Elimination ( NFME) 2016-2030. It has been reported that there has been a 30% reduction in malaria cases in India in 2022, resulting in a total of 33.8 lakh cases and 5,511 deaths across the country. [3]
The organisation Malaria No More has also taken the initiative to educate people and spread awareness about malaria to prevent it and make the world a better and safer place. They have also asked for Government support to help take their initiative forward. Finding innovative solutions to fueling the fight against malaria worldwide has been their goal and achieving it to some extent has increased their impact.[2]
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set a new goal for this year’s World Malaria Day which is to end discrimination and stigma, engage communities in health decision-making, address factors that increase malaria risk, including malaria control interventions in universal health coverage, and bringing health care close to where people live and work through primary health care.[1]
Conclusion
World Malaria Day is helping people around the world become more aware and educated about Malaria. The initiatives taken by the organisation show us how there are certain groups of people ready to take the first step toward spreading the word and knowledge. Health Insurance helps you get medical coverage for malaria. InsuranceDekho helps you with comparing and choosing the best health insurance which will help you have a stress-free recovery from malaria or any other medical issues.
The decrease in cases exhibits that people are becoming more aware and have started taking action towards improving their health and preventing diseases. Being able to contribute to their country and their development is yet another thing achieved if we focus on our health. Taking certain preventive measures to avoid infections and keeping our immunity level in check will help us all be healthy and avoid any parasitic disease.
References
[1]https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-malaria-day/2024
[2]https://www.malarianomore.org/
[3]https://ncvbdc.mohfw.gov.in/WriteReadData/l892s/National-framework-for-malaria-elimination-in-India-2016%E2%80%932030.pdf
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