HEALTH- MALARIA
BACKGROUND:
Communicable, vector borne disease spread by female mosquitoes that contract parasites and
bite humans
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant bodies of water such as lakes, ponds
Symptoms include- fever, headache, chills, sweating, vomiting, nausea, muscle pain, etc
The length of the wet seasons determines the period of transmission season
Mosquitoes can’t survive at higher altitudes- this is changing as they are adapting
Must be 16-32˚C for parasites to develop- consistently high temp in the tropics and subtropics
allows them to survive nearly all year round
Drug-resistant strains are emerging
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION:
Affects Africa mostly- highest prevalence rates
Also in some Asian countries, particularly the south and in some places of south American and
Oceania
Central Africa has the most rates of malaria
Previously more common in north America and some parts of Europe but was disappearing
centuries ago
DEATHS/CASES:
92% of cases recorded being in Africa and 94% of deaths
Angola has the highest number of deaths per 100,000
In 2013, about 198 million cases occurred killing about 584,000
Children under 5 accounted for 80% of all deaths in Africa
WHO recorded 249 million cases in 2022 and estimated 608,000 deaths globally and the number
in Africa was 94% of these figures- influenced by growing population numbers? Or adaptations?
Lack of development?
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS:
Coastal areas will show higher prevalence rates because of less seasonal variation
Forested areas increase susceptibility to infection
Housing quality- overcrowded homes and unsanitary conditions increases risk
Farmers and those working outdoors largely exposed like the gem miners in Sri Lanka
Both rural and urban areas at risk in the poorest countries- squatter settlements
No age or ethnicity factor involved apart from movement of migrants to malaria infested
countries
Incomes allow for prevention methods such as ITNS and repellent
Lack of education is a result of for lack of protection and prevention
Distance from local clinics and hospitals make it harder to be aided
COVID challenged Malaria further
IMPACTS ON HEALTH:
High fever, anaemia, hot and cold stages, fatigue, etc
, Most extreme can include destruction of red blood cells, yellow skin discolouration, kidney
failure, cerebral malaria and death
People living for a long time in malaria infested places can develop partial immunity
Pregnant women may experience low birth weight- leading to infant mortality
INDIRECT/DIRECT COSTS:
Costs Africa US $12bn a year
Loss of tourist interest
Decreased FDI
Economic activity reduced
Crop production impacted
Malaria is caused by lack of development also leading to underdevelopment
Highest rates of malaria have the lowest GDP and GDP per capita (Burundi has GDP per capita of
$730 and 13.5% of population has Malaria
IMPACTS ON AFRICA:
Immense pressure on healthcare in countries like Nigeria
Malaria journal study- estimated direct and indirect costs of malaria in Nigeria amounted to over
$1 bn annually including healthcare expenses, productivity losses and absences from work and
school
Many on the continent are stuck in a poverty cycle
TREATMENT:
Artemisinin- based combination therapies (ACTS) – a combination that reduces the parasite load
quickly and clears it
ITNs can be used by people at risk and indoor cleaning by spraying insecticide to control vector
mosquitoes
ITN net usage 80% worldwide
93.6% of under-5s sleeping under ITNs in Guinea-Bissau (2019)
Hati Punguzo: ITN scheme aiding people to buy nets on their own- a bottom-up approach
Malaria vaccine developed (R21 matrix-m vaccine) in use since 2023
GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION:
Rapid diagnostic tests
Governments can manage local pools of water by draining them
They can invest government revenues into subsiding ITNs etc
Introduce regulations that must include residual spraying of insecticides in public spaces
Their healthcare systems can prioritise malaria patients
Provision of healthcare to those not living close enough to a clinic or can’t reach protective
measures
NGOS- LEVELS OF SUCCESS:
WHO intervention between 2000 and 2012 saw 42% decline in mortality rates
WHO aim to reduce the burden by 90% in 2030
WHO works to ensure access to quality-assured antimalarial medications, insecticide-treated
nets and other essential tools for prevention and control in endemic countries
They have funded better tech and lab infrastructure to reinforce this
BACKGROUND:
Communicable, vector borne disease spread by female mosquitoes that contract parasites and
bite humans
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant bodies of water such as lakes, ponds
Symptoms include- fever, headache, chills, sweating, vomiting, nausea, muscle pain, etc
The length of the wet seasons determines the period of transmission season
Mosquitoes can’t survive at higher altitudes- this is changing as they are adapting
Must be 16-32˚C for parasites to develop- consistently high temp in the tropics and subtropics
allows them to survive nearly all year round
Drug-resistant strains are emerging
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION:
Affects Africa mostly- highest prevalence rates
Also in some Asian countries, particularly the south and in some places of south American and
Oceania
Central Africa has the most rates of malaria
Previously more common in north America and some parts of Europe but was disappearing
centuries ago
DEATHS/CASES:
92% of cases recorded being in Africa and 94% of deaths
Angola has the highest number of deaths per 100,000
In 2013, about 198 million cases occurred killing about 584,000
Children under 5 accounted for 80% of all deaths in Africa
WHO recorded 249 million cases in 2022 and estimated 608,000 deaths globally and the number
in Africa was 94% of these figures- influenced by growing population numbers? Or adaptations?
Lack of development?
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS:
Coastal areas will show higher prevalence rates because of less seasonal variation
Forested areas increase susceptibility to infection
Housing quality- overcrowded homes and unsanitary conditions increases risk
Farmers and those working outdoors largely exposed like the gem miners in Sri Lanka
Both rural and urban areas at risk in the poorest countries- squatter settlements
No age or ethnicity factor involved apart from movement of migrants to malaria infested
countries
Incomes allow for prevention methods such as ITNS and repellent
Lack of education is a result of for lack of protection and prevention
Distance from local clinics and hospitals make it harder to be aided
COVID challenged Malaria further
IMPACTS ON HEALTH:
High fever, anaemia, hot and cold stages, fatigue, etc
, Most extreme can include destruction of red blood cells, yellow skin discolouration, kidney
failure, cerebral malaria and death
People living for a long time in malaria infested places can develop partial immunity
Pregnant women may experience low birth weight- leading to infant mortality
INDIRECT/DIRECT COSTS:
Costs Africa US $12bn a year
Loss of tourist interest
Decreased FDI
Economic activity reduced
Crop production impacted
Malaria is caused by lack of development also leading to underdevelopment
Highest rates of malaria have the lowest GDP and GDP per capita (Burundi has GDP per capita of
$730 and 13.5% of population has Malaria
IMPACTS ON AFRICA:
Immense pressure on healthcare in countries like Nigeria
Malaria journal study- estimated direct and indirect costs of malaria in Nigeria amounted to over
$1 bn annually including healthcare expenses, productivity losses and absences from work and
school
Many on the continent are stuck in a poverty cycle
TREATMENT:
Artemisinin- based combination therapies (ACTS) – a combination that reduces the parasite load
quickly and clears it
ITNs can be used by people at risk and indoor cleaning by spraying insecticide to control vector
mosquitoes
ITN net usage 80% worldwide
93.6% of under-5s sleeping under ITNs in Guinea-Bissau (2019)
Hati Punguzo: ITN scheme aiding people to buy nets on their own- a bottom-up approach
Malaria vaccine developed (R21 matrix-m vaccine) in use since 2023
GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION:
Rapid diagnostic tests
Governments can manage local pools of water by draining them
They can invest government revenues into subsiding ITNs etc
Introduce regulations that must include residual spraying of insecticides in public spaces
Their healthcare systems can prioritise malaria patients
Provision of healthcare to those not living close enough to a clinic or can’t reach protective
measures
NGOS- LEVELS OF SUCCESS:
WHO intervention between 2000 and 2012 saw 42% decline in mortality rates
WHO aim to reduce the burden by 90% in 2030
WHO works to ensure access to quality-assured antimalarial medications, insecticide-treated
nets and other essential tools for prevention and control in endemic countries
They have funded better tech and lab infrastructure to reinforce this
