Essay on Malaria
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans by bites of infected mosquitoes. In 2010, malaria has led to nearly 655 000 deaths, mostly among African children (The World Health Organization, 2011). Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Transmission of infection is also dependent on climatic conditions that may affect the abundance and survival of mosquitoes – regime of rainfall, temperature and humidity. In the human body the parasites multiply in the liver and then infect red blood cells.
Malaria is an acute febrile illness. Symptoms appear within seven days or more (usually within 10-15 days) after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The first symptoms are fever, headache, chills and vomiting; they may be slightly pronounced, making it difficult to identify malaria. If you do not start treatment within 24 hours, malaria can quickly become life-threatening in connection with violation of blood supply to vital organs. In many parts of the world the parasites have developed resistance to a variety of drugs for malaria.
Vector control is the main way to reduce transmission of malaria in some communities. This is the only event that can reduce malaria transmission with very high levels to near zero. In the area of personal prevention of malaria first line of defense is personal protection from mosquito bites. Medications can also be used for prevention of malaria. Malaria prevention among people, who travel, can be performed with chemotherapy, which suppresses the stage of malaria infection in the blood, thus preventing disease progression. Key measures to control malaria include prompt and effective treatment of combination therapy based on artemisinin, the use of people at risk of insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying of residual insecticides to control mosquito vectors of disease.
WHO Global Program on Malaria is responsible for developing policy to combat and eradicate malaria by the following means:
- building an evidence-based policy and strategy development;
- independent assessment of global progress;
- development of approaches to capacity building, strengthening and surveillance;
- identify threats to malaria control and elimination, as well as new activities.
WHO is also a founding member of the partnership “Roll Back Malaria”, which provides a global framework for coordinated action against malaria. This partnership mobilizes actions and resources and contributes to the achievement of consensus between the partners. It includes more than 500 partners, including malaria-endemic countries, development partners, private sector, NGOs and funds, as well as scientific and educational institutions.
