Free Africa from Malaria Now

My desire to post today is nearly as overwhelming as my desire to work today. Null. Void. Depleting with each office minute, feeling the desperate need to make my ill-fuzzed head maintain concentration.

We still have yet to determine whether this is flu or some strange tropical disease, but I do find it highly coincidently that today just happens to be African Malaria Day.

Boss No. 2 (the harsher, more cynical ex-doctor) is not convinced I am being plagued by any bitch-of-a-female-mosquito’s salvia-transmitting illness. Nonetheless, he still has allowed me to head home, or to make me tea. Shame. Sweet.

And in honour of the day, I will continue my habit this week of predominantly cut-and-pasting fascinating info. And during my research to bring you the most up-to-date relevant basic WOW! information, I did become completely lost in a mine dump’s worth of information. So if this does tickle your fancy, follow the links onwards…

The World Health Organisation’s website probably offers the best wave of Malaria info to start riding. And what it has to say basically can be translated as, it is not as easy for most endangered people to simply head off to their GP and ask for some pills that offer fcked-up dreams. People living in the malaria areas are in constant fatal danger.

Some Facts:

-About 40% of the world’s population are at risk of malaria;
-More than 1 million people die from the effects of the disease every year; with 90% of these deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa;
-Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria. It is the leading cause of death among children under five years old on the African continent;
-Malaria is caused by parasites of the species plasmodium that are spread from person to person through the bites of infected mosquitoes;
-It is not age-, gender-, race-specific;
-Inappropriate use of antimalarial drugs in the past century contributed to widespread resistance in the malaria parasite to drugs such as chloroquine, leading to rising rates of sickness and death. Over the past decade, a new group of antimalarials – known as artemisinin-based combination therapies – has brought new hope in the fight against malaria;
-Malaria control includes early diagnosis & prompt treatment, distribution of insecticides and treated bednets;
- The nets are effective for a number of years (3 to 5 years, depending on models and conditions of use);
- Indoor residual spraying is the most effective means of rapidly reducing mosquito density. Its full potential is obtained when at least 80 % of premises with malaria vectors are sprayed. Indoor spraying is effective for 3 to 6 months, depending on the insecticide used and the type of surface on which it is sprayed.
- HOWEVER, read this article to realise that with every GOOD in public health fighting, there is at least one BAD: Anti-malaria pesticide affects male fertility
-Pregnant women are at high risk not only of dying from the complications of severe malaria, but also spontaneous abortion, premature delivery or stillbirth. Malaria is also a cause of severe maternal anaemia and is responsible for about one third of preventable low birth weight babies. It contributes to the deaths of an estimated 10 000 pregnant women;
-Malaria causes an average loss of 1.3% of annual economic growth in countries with intense transmission. Malaria has lifelong effects through increased poverty and impaired learning. It cuts attendance at schools and workplaces. However, it is preventable and curable;
- Millennium Development Goal 6 is to Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases.

- HIV cannot be transmitted via mosquitoes [ed. let me know if you'd like to know why not];
- HIV-positive people are more susceptible to contracting malaria and have a decreased positive response to standard anitmalarial treatment. Malaria also increases the viral load in an HIV-positive person (leading them closer to the stage of AIDS);
-The responses to HIV & Malaria can work in conjunction. Fighting the one builds up the resources & systems to fight the other [ed. let me know if you'd like more about this].

So….you get bitten by the dumb flying chick insect. OR! Apparently it can also be transmitted by blood transfusion and by contaminated needles and syringes.
The parasites then multiply in the human liver and bloodstream causing fever and chills and can lead to death if left untreated.

(FAQ about Malaria...)

How long is the incubation period/on­set of symptoms?
The incubation period is from when you are bitten & infected, to the first appearance of clinical signs. This is usually between 9 and 30 days, depending on the infecting species. In some strains the incubation period may last some 8-9 months.

- Falciparum malaria, which can be fatal, must always be suspected if fever, with or without other symptoms, develops at any time between one week after the first possible exposure to malaria and two months (or even longer in exceptional cases) after the last possible exposure. [ed. Uh oh]

Which parts of the body does it usu­ally infect?
Parasites are injected into the skin capillaries by a mosquito. From there they travel via the bloodstream to the liver, where they develop and multiply in liver cells before entering the blood stream again and invading for further re­production. From there other internal organs, e.g. the brain, can be affected as clumps of heavily infected erythrocytes start blocking capillary blood flow.

What are the symptoms?
The classic clinical course of malaria consists of bouts of fever accompanied by other symptoms and alternat­ing with periods of freedom from any feeling of illness. The intermittent type of fever is usually absent at the beginning of the disease, when headache, malaise, fatigue, nausea, muscular pains, slight diar­rhoea and slight increase of body temperature are the predominant and vague symptoms, often mistaken for influenza or a gastro-intestinal infection. Most severe forms of the disease result in organ failure, delirium, impaired consciousness and generalized convulsions, followed by persistent coma and death. [ed. Uh oh. I have 5 of the 1st 7 symptoms.]

So there you have it. Man, we are going to be one clued up lot by the time I retrieve my head & get back to blogging about my life’s daily events & rambling thoughts!

Happy Malaria Day! Kill a mosquito for me!