|
Malaria is an infectious disease that is transmitted
through mosquito bites. Malaria is caused by parasites in blood, namely
plasmodium. There are two main kinds of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum and
Plasmodium vivax. The former is a severe type that
may kill patients whereas the latter is mild but chronic. More Information…
The initial symptoms are malaise (not feeling well), low
grade fever, body pain or cold like symptoms followed by intermittent high
fever.
 High fever
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Pale and yellowish skin.
Generally, the symptoms start approximately 10 to 14 days
after the biting of an infective mosquito. However, there are some types of
malaria that the symptoms may start one to two or several months after
mosquito biting.
There is great variety of malaria in epidemiology in the
South-East Asia Region. Malaria transmission exists in cities (urban malaria)
in India and other South-
East Asia countries, in forests and foothill areas in Thailand, Myanmar
and Bangladesh, in sea
coast areas in Indonesia,
etc.
There are three main ways to prevent malaria:
a) Prevent mosquitoes from biting people:
 sleep under mosquito nets (ordinary or insecticide-treated)
screen all windows and doors in the house or,
at least, in rooms where people sleep;
apply mosquito repellents to the skin; and
use mosquito coils.
b)
Control mosquito breeding:
eliminate places where mosquitoes can lay
eggs;
reclaim land by filling and draining;
introduce special fish that eat mosquito
larvae; and
put special insecticides in the water to kill
mosquito larvae.
c) Kill adult mosquitoes
spray rooms with insecticides before going to
bed; and
participate in activities carried out by the
health services, such as spraying the inside walls of houses with
insecticides that kill mosquitoes.
Preventing mosquito bite
Mosquito nets:
A mosquito net provides good protection from mosquito bites.
Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes usually bite from sunset to sunrise, so a
mosquito net can prevent children and adults from mosquito bites while they
sleep. Mosquito nets treated with special insecticide provide better
protection. Make sure that mosquito nets are used correctly, and are in good
condition.
Screening: A
mosquito net only provides protection to those while sleeping under it. But
screening a whole house can protect everyone living in it, because screening
can prevent mosquitoes from entering the house. All windows and doors must be
screened. All screens must be properly maintained to ensure that mosquitoes
cannot enter.
Repellents:
Repellents are chemicals that are applied to the skin to keep mosquitoes
away. They are readily available at chemists and pharmacies in all countries.
They are effective when people are not using mosquito nets or are outside the
house.
Mosquito coils: The smoke from mosquito coils keeps
mosquitoes away, and may even kill them. They are useful when sitting
outdoors, or in rooms that do not have screens.
Malaria mosquitoes
may breed in:
fresh or brackish water (slightly salty)
water, especially if it is stagnant or slow- flowing;
open streams with very slow-flowing water aling their banks;
pools of water left after the rains or as a
result of poor water management;
swamps, rice fields, and reservoirs;
small ponds, pools, borrow-pits, canals, and
ditches with stagnant water, in and around villages;
animal hoof-prints filled with water;
cisterns (water tanks) for storage of water,
and
anything that may collect water – plant pots,
old car tyres, etc.
mosquitoes usually “operate” within a
2-kilometre radius.
Communities and
individuals can reduce mosquito breeding by:
using sand to fill in pools, ponds,
borrow-pits, etc.;
removing discarded containers that might
collect water;
covering cisterns (water tanks) with mosquito
nets or lids;
clearing away vegetation and other matter from
the banks of stream so that water flows speedily;
repairing leaks, preventing spillage of water,
improving drainage.
If, in spite if all
preventive measures, someone gets malaria it is important to know the
symptoms so that timely medical advice and treatment can be sought.
Symptoms of malaria
One of the first symptoms is fiver accompanied
with chill, rigor and followed by sweating. These symptoms recur at regular
intervals (daily, 48 or 72 hours).
If the person has had these symptoms, then it
could be malaria. See the doctor or the health worker as soon as possible.
The danger signs of
severe malaria are:
changes in behaviour
(convulsions; unconsciousness; drowsiness; confusion; inability to walk, sit,
speak, or recognize relatives);
repeated vomiting, inability to retain oral
medication, inability to eat or drink;
passage of small quantities of urine or no
urine, or passage of dark urine;
severe diarrhoea;
unexplained heavy bleeding from nose, gums or
other sotes;
high fever (above 39˚ C);
severe dehydration (loose skin and sunken
eyes);
anemia; and
the whites of the eyes turning yellow.
When someone has
ANY of the above symptoms, it is possible the patient has severe malaria. The
patient’s life could be in danger. Urgent treatment is needed at a clinic or
hospital to save the patient’s life. Do not waste any time in seeking good
medical advice.
Remember, malaria
is dangerous. But it is preventable through a multi-sectoral effort to
address and control the problem by individuals, community, media and their
sectors.
While governments and NGOs can do a lot to control
malaria, other sectors, such as the media, organized groups, communities and
individuals, can play a more critical role in addressing the problem:
Governments must combat malaria through effective
strategies and programmes. They must mount vast IEC campaigns to educate
people about malaria, its spread and control. They can spray insecticides;
and they can control mosquito breeding by reclaiming land and filling drains.
They can anticipate and be prepared for epidemics.
NGOs can support governments in all of the above
activities by disseminating information, and exercising vigilance to ensure
that all precautions are taken.
Media can play its part by highlighting the dangers of
malaria and the simple means to prevent it.
Communities and individuals can make sure they keep their
surroundings safe by eliminating breeding grounds and stagnant water. They
can keep their families safe by understanding how, malaria is spread. They
can help by recognizing the signs and symptoms and facilitating early
diagnosis and treatment .They can adopt the simple practices within their
reach to avoid malaria and contain its spread.
Malaria chemoprophylaxis is not contraindicated in
pregnancy. These drugs are usually well tolerated for pregnant women and
children. However, due to prevalence
of Cholroquine and SP resistance in most countries of the SEA Region, these
drugs would not guarantee full protection. Therefore, personal protection is
strongly recommended.
Yes, but very rare. It may cause stomach upset, itching.
PROTECT YOUR
FAMILY. HELP THE COMMUNITY.
|
