QUESTION: (In conclusion to an earlier question regarding the seriousness of the disease and the way it is likely to affect population vigour if not controlled) - What can the community, the government, individuals (school children, parent, and teachers) do to improve the situation? ANSWER: The best way to improve the impact that malaria has upon populations afflicted by malaria is to … [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...]
NetGuarantee: Financing Speeds Delivery of Mosquito Nets
NetGuarantee, a new innovative finance facility, announces its first transaction with Zurich in North America, part of the Zurich Financial Services Group, to celebrate World Malaria Day today, April 25. This collaboration will help accelerate access to and advance the delivery of vital malaria prevention tools in Africa by six to 10 months, and shows how core business competencies and best … [Read more...]
Safety of Bed Net Insecticides
QUESTION: Are the insecticides used on the bed nets safe? What are the brand names and chemical names of those insecticides, and can you point me to any studies that have been done to determine their safety? ANSWER: The short answer is yes, the insecticides used in bednets are safe under the conditions in which people are exposed to them through using bednets. Most standard bednets … [Read more...]
How to Prevent Malaria
QUESTION: What is the prevention of malaria? ANSWER: Malaria can be prevented in a number of ways, the main three of which are bite reduction, prophylaxis and vector control. Bite reduction just means steering clear of mosquitoes, and specifically those that transmit malaria. These bite mostly between dusk and dawn, so if walking around at these times of day in a malarial area, it is … [Read more...]
Malaria – Free Bednets?
QUESTION: Why do people have to pay for the bed nets? I think that is mean to the people and they should get them for free. ANSWER: You have hit on a very important and on-going debate in the malaria control community. In many places around the world, organisations such as UNICEF have distributed free, insecticide-treated bednets, and especially to mothers—pregnant women and children … [Read more...]
Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets (ITMNs) Helps Prevent Japanese Encephalitis
A new study reveals that using treated mosquito nets could drastically reduce the transmission of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) to humans. The study, conducted by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Dibrugarh, North East Region (NE), Indian Council of Medical Research and released in the March issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, showed that the use of … [Read more...]