Africa, the second largest continent in the world, is commonly referred to as the cradle of humanity. It is aching, however, to know that the inhabitants of this great geographical area of land are faced by turbulent and uncontrolled health issues. Diseases and related infirmities claim millions of life in Africa each year. This excessive lose accounts for many other social and economic degradation in Africa. We can boldly say that these diseases have had their full course in Africa because of the rate of poverty in the continent. Unavailability of adequate medical facilities makes matters worse every year. One of the major diseases that have served as great threat to Africa and its inhabitants over the years is Malaria.
As small as a mosquito looks, it kills more than a lion does yearly. Sadly, Africans are the major victims of this deadly infection. The single-celled parasites, of the genus plasmodium, that cause this infection are transmitted by female anopheles mosquitoes when they bite people. Although malaria remains a global health problem, it is very and greatly rampant in Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a million people die of this disease each year, most of them in Africa.
The effect of this deadly infection called Malaria cannot be overemphasized. It is characterized by periodic bouts of severe chills and high fever, chronic nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of red blood cell, among others. Apart from these, research as shown that malaria also contributes to the reduction of birth weight, which is an important factor in determining infant mortality. It is therefore crystal clear that this infection goes a long way in reducing population of people in African counties.
However, the recognition of symptoms alone is not enough to diagnose malaria. All the symptoms mentioned above can as well be caused by other illnesses and diseases. For malaria to be effectively diagnosed, the sample of a patient's blood has to be tested under a microscope, to check for malaria parasites present in the blood. Drugs that have been discovered by scientists to cure malaria when found in the blood include chloroquine, mefloquine, doxycyqline, and other artemisinin derivatives.
Nevertheless, research by the World Health Organization has also shown that malaria is drastically reducing in Africa. This is undoubtedly due to the increase in events of symposiums, the use of mosquito nets, insect repellents, and protective clothing that covers the skin. This is the overview of the research by WHO, revealing a profuse reduction in the events of Malaria in Africa.
'The WHO African Region countries to bear the brunt of the global burden of malaria. In 2015, 88% of global cases and 90% of global deaths occurred in the African Region. Between 2000 and 2015, the number of malaria cases declined by 42% while the malaria death rate declined by 66% in the African Region. This reduction is due to improved availability and use of insecticide-treated nets, diagnosis-based treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapy, engagement of communities in malaria control, and strengthening capacity in vector control for malaria.
Malaria continues to have a severe socioeconomic impact on our populations. It is one of the causes of household poverty because it results in absenteeism from the daily activities of productive living and income generation. Malaria also continues to prevent many school children from attending school due to illness, diminishing their capacity to realize their full potential.'
The last paragraph of the WHO overview reveals the fact that despite the reduction, malaria still remains a treat to Africans, killing over a million each year.
Photo credit: livescience.com
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