Worldwide, April 25 is observed as World Malaria Day – a day to assess, keep up and celebrate humankind’s fight against the deadly killer disease malaria and make the world malaria-free.
Every year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chooses a theme for all countries to unite on a common platform and highlight the global efforts and success rate of fighting and controlling malaria. This year’s theme is “End Malaria for Good” while boosting all round measures from resources to technical support to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria in endemic countries. The aim is to reduce new malaria cases, death rates and eventually eliminate malaria.
Malaria is a global problem both in terms of numbers and cost trapping many families in a vicious cycle of illness, suffering and poverty in many countries especially the third world and developing nations. 2015 findings of facts and figures are still not enough to eliminate this disease. Some of them are –
- 214 million cases globally
- 438,000 deaths annually
- 90 percent of deaths in sub-Saharan Africa
- 35 percent of deaths alone in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 78 percent of deaths are of children below the age of five
- Half the world’s population, about 3.2 billion people are at risk of malaria
- About 1.3 percent of the GDP is malaria costs in endemic countries
- 40 percent of public health spend is attributed to malaria in endemic countries
Malaria is transmitted by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito. Young children, pregnant mothers and non-immune travellers are particularly at risk when they get infected.
Malaria is perfectly preventable and curable. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key to reduce the implications of the disease and prevent deaths besides key factors like human immunity and upkeep of local surroundings like maintaining basic cleanliness and hygiene, eliminating any stagnant water bodies around, safe and clean drinking water, proper sanitation facilities.
For prevention, there are precautionary steps and vector control interventions like DEET-free mosquito repellents, mosquito nets and meshes, indoor residual spraying and anti-malarial medicines with routine malarial vaccines.
This World Malaria Day, what is your pledge to fight the disease?