World Malaria Day Prevention and Treatment

Posted On: 1714022656

On the 60th session of the World Health Assembly, WHO's decision-making body, in May 2007, World Malaria Day was established. In their own words, the day was established to provide "education and understanding of malaria" and spread information on "year-long intensified implementation of national malaria-control strategies, including community-based activities for malaria prevention and treatment in endemic areas."

 

World Malaria Day is annually celebrated on 25th April. The theme for the year 2024 is "Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world." According to WHO’s website,  this theme, which is in sync with this year’s World Health Day theme “My Health, My Right’, underscores the urgent need to address the stark inequities that persist in access to malaria prevention, detection, and treatment services.

 

To observe World Malaria Day, we are going to explain the signs, prevention and treatment available for Malaria.

 

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you might have malaria: 

 

• Fever
• Chills
• A General Feeling of Discomfort
• Headache
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal Pain
• Muscle or Joint Pain
• Fatigue
• Rapid Breathing
• Rapid Heart Rate
• Cough

 

Normally, malaria is spread through the bites of infected mosquitos. However, there are other modes of transmission as well like from mother to unborn child, blood transfusions and sharing of needles to inject drugs.

 

 

The easiest way to prevent malaria is to prevent mosquito bites. To avoid mosquito bites, the CDC recommends the following:

 

• Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. 
• Wear long-sleeved clothing and long pants if you are outdoors at night.
• Use a mosquito net over the bed if your bedroom is not air-conditioned or screened. For additional protection, treat the mosquito net with the insecticide permethrin.
• Spray an insecticide or repellent on clothing, as mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing.
• Spray pyrethrin or a similar insecticide in your bedroom before going to bed.

 

To treat Malaria, doctors would prescribe drugs depending on your age, type of malaria and severity. Some common drugs for malaria are chloroquine phosphate, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone), quinine sulfate (Qualaquin) with doxycycline (Oracea, Vibramycin, others) and primaquine phosphate,

 

Filaantro raises money for patients battling various diseases, including Malaria. If you want to raise funds feel free to reach out to us through our website.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Make sure to share it with all your friends and family members. 

 

AUTHOR: Adil Sayyad