Malaria
This is just a protect yourself and
your Family story.
Less than a century ago, we use to
drain the wetlands that grew many of the mosquitoes that transmitted malaria in
the USA. I myself live in such an area
in 2013. Now we promote restoring wetlands with government money, like our tax
payer money. One can expect that to
change over time, like in the next half century. Mostly it is because humans we don't want to
get malaria.
Now most of this area is in the
southern USA, generally speaking. And that is a big chunk of land, including
the people who live there.
In recent years, much progress has been made in the treatment
and prevention of malaria. New research demonstrates that malaria deaths in
Africa have been cut by one third in the past decade. During that same period,
35 out of the 53 malaria-affected countries outside of Africa have seen a 50%
reduction in cases.
Yet sustained investment remains critical to ensuring that gains are not lost and lives continue to be saved. Roughly half the world’s population is still at risk of being infected with malaria, with children and pregnant women the most vulnerable. Every year, malaria causes 655,000 deaths. Every minute, a child in Africa dies from malaria.
International Medical Corps is committed to fighting malaria worldwide through treatment, prevention and educational activities. We work to integrate anti-malaria programs into primary health care services and introduce new malaria protocols and drug combinations to combat the disease. For International Medical Corps, malaria control is not only vital for stopping this deadly disease, but also for improving child and maternal health and fostering resilient and self-reliant nations.
Yet sustained investment remains critical to ensuring that gains are not lost and lives continue to be saved. Roughly half the world’s population is still at risk of being infected with malaria, with children and pregnant women the most vulnerable. Every year, malaria causes 655,000 deaths. Every minute, a child in Africa dies from malaria.
International Medical Corps is committed to fighting malaria worldwide through treatment, prevention and educational activities. We work to integrate anti-malaria programs into primary health care services and introduce new malaria protocols and drug combinations to combat the disease. For International Medical Corps, malaria control is not only vital for stopping this deadly disease, but also for improving child and maternal health and fostering resilient and self-reliant nations.
MALARIA
AT A GLANCE
▼
Malaria is an infectious disease spread by mosquito bites. It is
caused by the parasite Plasmodium, which multiplies inside the human body and
infects red blood cells. Without treatment, malaria can disrupt blood supply to
vital organs and become fatal.
People most at risk:
Roughly half the world’s population (3.3 billion people) is at risk of malaria, though certain groups are more vulnerable, including young children, pregnant women and people living with autoimmune disorders such as HIV/AIDS.
Treatment:
Malaria is a treatable disease, but early diagnosis is important in preventing death. Most cases can be treated using artemisinin-based combination therapy, though drug-resistance is increasing, undermining malaria control efforts.
People most at risk:
Roughly half the world’s population (3.3 billion people) is at risk of malaria, though certain groups are more vulnerable, including young children, pregnant women and people living with autoimmune disorders such as HIV/AIDS.
Treatment:
Malaria is a treatable disease, but early diagnosis is important in preventing death. Most cases can be treated using artemisinin-based combination therapy, though drug-resistance is increasing, undermining malaria control efforts.
MALARIA
FACT SHEET
▼
The World Health Organization estimates that 3.3 billion people
were at risk of malaria in 2010. Every year, malaria causes about 216 million
new cases and 655,000 deaths. With undeveloped or weakened immune systems,
young children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to malaria.
Malaria flourishes in warm, tropical climates and disproportionately impacts poor countries. Thirty-five countries (30 in sub-Saharan Africa and 5 in Asia) account for 98% of global malaria deaths. In Africa, malaria is the second leading cause of death from infectious disease, after HIV/ AIDS. Every minute, a child in Africa dies as a result of the disease.
Progress in combating this deadly disease has been made through heavy investments in malaria prevention as part of the UN’s Millennium Development Goal to have halted and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases by 2015. In Africa, malaria deaths have been cut by one third within the last decade; outside of Africa, 35 out of the 53 countries affected by malaria have reduced cases by 50% in the same time period.
Malaria is spread by mosquitoes infected with a parasite called Plasmodium, which in many parts of the world has developed resistance to malaria medicine. In humans, the parasite multiplies in the liver and infects red blood cells, which can disrupt blood flow to vital organs. Symptoms usually appear between 10 and 15 days after a mosquito bite and include fever, headache, chills and vomiting. These symptoms often get ignored or misdiagnosed; if left untreated, malaria can quickly become fatal.
Malaria flourishes in warm, tropical climates and disproportionately impacts poor countries. Thirty-five countries (30 in sub-Saharan Africa and 5 in Asia) account for 98% of global malaria deaths. In Africa, malaria is the second leading cause of death from infectious disease, after HIV/ AIDS. Every minute, a child in Africa dies as a result of the disease.
Progress in combating this deadly disease has been made through heavy investments in malaria prevention as part of the UN’s Millennium Development Goal to have halted and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases by 2015. In Africa, malaria deaths have been cut by one third within the last decade; outside of Africa, 35 out of the 53 countries affected by malaria have reduced cases by 50% in the same time period.
Malaria is spread by mosquitoes infected with a parasite called Plasmodium, which in many parts of the world has developed resistance to malaria medicine. In humans, the parasite multiplies in the liver and infects red blood cells, which can disrupt blood flow to vital organs. Symptoms usually appear between 10 and 15 days after a mosquito bite and include fever, headache, chills and vomiting. These symptoms often get ignored or misdiagnosed; if left untreated, malaria can quickly become fatal.
Information from World Health Organization
PREVENTION
& TREATMENT
▼
The main way to prevent malaria is through vector control. In
areas that are at high risk of malaria, distributing insecticide-treated
mosquito nets and spreading indoor areas with insecticides should be the
primary public health interventions to prevent the transmission of malaria at
the community-level. Travelers visiting malaria endemic countries can take
malaria prevention drugs. To treat malaria, early diagnosis is critical. The
best available treatment to date is artemisinin-based combination therapy.
However, the infection has demonstrated increasing resistance to medicine,
making prevention the most effective treatment.
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