QUESTION: What are some things that might be done to make the situation better for those most affected with malaria in Africa? ANSWER: Currently, the emphasis on decreasing the burden of malaria on those most affected in Africa is based on a combination of prevention, education, research and treatment. In more detail: Prevention: This is arguably one of the keys to sustainably reducing … [Read more...]
Recurring Malaria Long Term Effects
QUESTION: Hi, my husband is an expat working in Mozambique for the past 5 years. He has been diagnosed with malaria 9 times, what are the long term effects of this and is he just unlucky or do others also get infected often? thanks. ANSWER: If the proper precautions are not taken, then it is very easy to get infected with malaria multiple times; I have one Ugandan colleague who claims he … [Read more...]
How can malaria be controlled?
QUESTION: What is malaria? How can it be controlled? ANSWER: Malaria is a disease caused by a single-celled parasite called Plasmodium. There are four species that regularly infect humans: P. falciparum (which causes the most severe form of the disease, and is responsible for 90% of the annual 700,000 fatalities caused by malaria, mainly in Africa), P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae. A … [Read more...]
Malaria on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea
QUESTION: Is there malaria on Bougainville Island? ANSWER: Yes, Bougainville Island (an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea) is considered a malaria transmission zone, and precautions against malaria are advised when visiting. These include sleeping under an insecticide treated bednet, wearing long-sleeved clothing and insect repellent in the evenings and talking with your doctor about … [Read more...]
Malaria in Saipan
QUESTION: Should I worry about Malaria while in Saipan for 1-2 months? I leave soon and would like to know if I should be vaccinated. ANSWER: The first thing I should say, which is crucially important, is that THERE IS NO VACCINE FOR MALARIA! There are, however, many other ways of effectively ensuring that you do not get infected when travelling to or living in malaria transmission … [Read more...]
Malaria effects on body’s digestive system
QUESTION: How does Malaria affect the digestive system? ANSWER: Malaria does not usually affect the digestive system directly, although nausea and abdominal pain can be symptoms of the disease, usually due to the high fevers caused by the infection. Having said that, some of the drugs given as treatment or prevention of malaria are also known to have gastrointestinal side effects; both … [Read more...]
What is malaria?
QUESTION: What is malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Transmitted by mosquitoes, there are several different kinds of malaria distributed throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, causing somewhere between 300-500 million cases of disease each year, and as many as 1 million deaths. In fact, malaria is one of the biggest … [Read more...]
Is malaria contagious?
QUESTION: Is malaria contagious? ANSWER: No, malaria isn't directly contagious from one person to another. It has to be transmitted by the bite of a mosquito, which means that if someone near you has malaria, those mosquitoes that bite him are carrying the disease! So, the best way to avoid getting infected is to make sure neither you nor your brother are bitten by mosquitoes. The best … [Read more...]
Malaria in Malaysia
QUESTION: Is there malaria in Malaysia? ANSWER: Yes, there is malaria in Malaysia, although efficient vector control campaigns, alongside a well-functioning health system which effectively diagnoses and treats malaria cases has vastly reduced the transmission of the disease in peninsular Malaysia at least. Transmission is still a problem in rural, interior areas, and especially in Sabah … [Read more...]
Can malaria kill you?
QUESTION: Can malaria kill you? ANSWER: YES! Malaria, especially of the kind caused by Plasmodium falciparum parasites, can be an extremely severe illness and even deadly. Somewhere between 700,000 and 1 million people die of malaria every year, and the majority of these are children under the age of five years old, which is the age group most susceptible to severe malaria attacks. … [Read more...]