(Copyright: william daniels)
READY TO BEAT MALARIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
2018 WHO world malaria day was celebrated and issues of the world combating malaria was raised again.
CHALLENGES OF FIGHTING MALARIA IN AFRICA;
Africa has long been fighting to overcome malaria related cases, but no success have been achieved from all the struggles. Some of factors have been a problem for these African States. Death cases every year has never been a thing of joy to any African state. The fight has been embraced by all heath professionals to avoid millions of lives being killed by this deadly old man called malaria. As old as the Chinese, malaria has been as deadly as it was decades ago.
1 IMPACT OF CLIMATE;
Climate change which has been a major concern of the world today has been a major concern of Africa decades before now. The African environment changes more rapidly with weather change,which have adverse effects on the fight against malaria. Mosquitoes, carriers of malaria parasites breeds enjoyably in swamps and one of the problem of some African States is their inabilities to maintain a swamp free cities. If our cities and towns are always flooded because of good drainage system to channel our waters,then malaria combating can't be a success. Our governments and local leaders need to understand the purpose of environmental sanitations on daily bases and not just on monthly bases as we see in our Nigerian cities and towns. The local governments must cooperate with the local leaders to support the fight against malaria in Africa. Environmental sanitations is a sure way for everyone of us winning this fight against malaria. Residents too shouldn't be making things easy for these mosquitoes. They should adhere to strict cleanliness practices. They have been ignorance of the harm they have been causing themselves by not keeping their residence clean. And if they can't help themselves ,they can't be helped by these health professionals who are doing their best. Residents must help themselves to be helped.
2 RESISTANCE TO INSECTICIDES;
Many of the insecticides we are currently using in the fight against mosquitoes are outdated to these mosquitoes and need to be changed. Our chemical companies have to continue improving on their formula to make this fight against malaria a success. Profits shouldn't be their greatest priority when it comes to saving millions of lives as we are trying to do. We residents have to also change the modes of application of these insecticides. We have to suit our application to their(mosquitoes) easiest modes of death.
3 PREVENTION, NOT LASTING;
What have been our preventive techniques of keeping our families from getting malaria? How has these techniques helped out in subsequent times? The truth is that these techniques have helped us out,but have we been consistent? The answer is NO. This is why our governments ,state and local do environmental sanitations once a monthly only. And our landlords clean their compounds once a moth too. We all have to adhere to cleaned always, all the time to avoid these mosquitoes breeding at our residential corners.
4 THE SEARCH FOR EFFECTIVE VACCINES;
More effective vaccines are needed for the fight. Pharmacists are to take this upon themselves to provide better vaccines than we see today. Today we have fake vaccines in the market. It shouldn't be so anymore. Pharmacists must take it upon themselves in manufacturing thses vaccines. The lives of our people are better than our greatest priorities.
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FIGHT;
Even as we have these challenges, the opportunities in them can never be sidelined.
1 STANDARD OF LIVING;
Our local governments cooperating and working with our local leaders to fight problems of drainage in our Streets will go more than just solving the problem of breeding places for these mosquitoes. Easy routing will be provided around our vicinities. The problem of some of our local traders will be solved. The issues of our local markets being flooded will be limited. Also issues of local houses being flooded will be limited.
2 INNOVATIONS;
When researchers all go on deck to gives us insecticides that can help us fight these mosquitoes, new trend will spring up. Varieties will be provided which also make cost of procurement of these insecticides to drop and affordable by all,rich and poor.
Malaria remains one of the oldest ailment in the world. According to statistics from the WHO,3.4 billion people live in areas of risk of the disease over 91 countries. Malaria is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquitoe. And the disease is caused by plasmodium parasites; two of which are the plasmodium Falciparum and plasmodium Vivax. With Falciparum prevalent in Africa and Vivax in countries outside sub Sahara Africa.
SYMPTOMS;
Symptoms may vary due to age ,personal immunity and levels of severity. In a nun-immune individual, symptoms are headache, fever and cold. In children with severe malaria, severe anaemia and respiratory issues are seen.
PEOPLE AT RISK;
The most vulnerable persons are those with no immunity against the disease.
1 Children with no or little immunity
2 Pregnant women whose immunity has been decreased
3 Travelers from malaria free surroundings to malaria proned surroundings
PREVENTION
1 Use of mosquitoe nets
2 Use of antimalarial drugs
3 keeping a clean environment
4 Use of insecticides.
TREATMENT;
Malaria is best treated with Arteminisin- based Combination Therapy with resistance to other medicines such as chloroquine etc