Research has it that the rate of infants mortality is as a result of malaria mostly in the developing countries of Africa, southeast Asia, and Eastern region.
Malaria is the highest childhood killer disease with an estimated 200 million cases and 400,000 deaths from malaria annually, Nigeria has ranked the highest burdens of malaria in the world today and has mostly affected children and pregnant mothers. It results for 70% of outpatient visits, and 30% hospitalization.
In the 18th century people thought that the disease malaria was caused from breathing in bad air in stagnant areas because of its names which means”bad air” but scientists later on found out that it was a parasite living in an insect called the female anopheles mosquito and not from the air as the name stuck.
It’s well known malaria is caused by mosquitoes but they’re five different parasites that are causative agents of malaria in humans, but the most deadliest is that of plasmodium falciparum parasite from the female anopheles mosquitoes. The plasmodium attacks the bloodstream through a bite form an infected mosquito.
Being affected by malaria without treatment within 24hours leads to seizures, loss of consciousness, impairment of brain and spinal cord function and lastly death .
With much studies and discoveries, scientists have discovered different drug treatments depending on the strain of malaria an individual is infected with.
The drugs cure malaria by eliminating all the parasites in the blood stream. The English man says prevention is better than cure and there a lots of ways to prevent this disease. The major ones are use of insecticides since the causative agent is an insect and this is very reliable.
The second is use of treated mosquito netting placed around beds, This is also a best way to keep people safe while they’re asleep. Use of repellents in the entire household and spraying of residual insecticides will effectively kill mosquitoes in the house and keep them away for months. And lastly clearing of grasess in the environment and doing away with stagnant water since that’s where they breeds.
Health care centres, especially the ones owned by the government should always make availability of vaccines for the public and creating of awareness of the disease to the public on what the disease does to the human body. With this the rate of mortality will decrease in our African countries and in Nigeria as well. Health is wealth.
