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Over half of the world’s popuation is at risk of catching malaria |
Malaria is a serious illness that severely undermines individuals’ ability to work and live a normal life and cases of malaria drain the economies of countries affected – but better funding for malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment could save thousands of lives every year.
According to Dr. Stanley Odiaka, mosquitoes, those pesky insects that feed on human blood, are more than just a nuisance; they also carry the parasite that causes malaria – passing it on through their night-time bites. Symptoms usually appear 9-14 days after infection and include fever, shivering, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms. If not treated malaria can be deadly. Early, accurate diagnosis and treatment is key.
“You can’t get malaria from casual contact with someone, who’s infected. It’s not contagious and can’t be transmitted sexually. Malaria is preventable and treatable but it can be deadly. Worldwide, malaria causes around 225 million illnesses and 781,000 deaths every year.
“Half the world’s population is at risk of catching malaria. It is particularly deadly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a mosquito-friendly climate and frequently poor prevention and treatment coverage has made it a leading killer of young children,” he said.
The transmission of malaria by mosquitoes was first discovered by British doctor, Sir Ronald Ross at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on 20 August 1897. This day is now known as World Mosquito Day and Dr. Ross was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1902 for his discovery. His malaria research continues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s malaria centre.
Malaria is widespread in Sub Saharan Africa, affecting most African countries. It also occurs across South and South East Asia as well as parts of Latin America. The semi tropical and tropical climates mean that mosquitoes carrying malaria can breed easily and the disease can incubate in the warm areas where the mosquitoes live:
Odiaka said, “Over half the world’s population is at risk from malaria. Tragically malaria often affects the poorest communities most because they cannot afford malaria prevention and treatment tools such as bed nets and medicines. Once malaria spreads, it can cost developing communities significant loss of life, drain resources and put the most vulnerable – girls, pregnant women and children – at risk.”
According to statistics, half the world’s population is at risk of malaria, 781,000 people die of malaria every year and it affects the most vulnerable financially too.
A child dies every 45 seconds of malaria. Over 90 per cent of the 781,000 malaria deaths are in Africa, eight per cent of all children who die before their fifth birthday die of malaria, 40 per cent of public health spending in some African countries affected by malaria is spent on the disease
Malaria costs Africa over £8 billion a year in lost economic output. It is estimated that up to 200,000 newborns die each year as a result of malaria in pregnancy and malaria can cause anaemia and death for pregnant women. 40% of drug expenditure in affected countries is spent on malaria drugs
Almost a million lives have been saved in Africa since 2000 thanks to malaria controls
With full funding, up to 4.2 million lives could be saved by 2015 in the 20 highest burden African countries alone
Since 2000, over one third of the 108 malarious countries have reduced the number of malaria cases by more than 50%
Eleven (11) African countries reported declines in the number of cases and deaths of 50% or more. Eritrea, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe, for example, achieved this reduction within five years of starting a malaria control campaign.
Household net ownership reached more than 50 per cent in 19 malarious African countries in 2010. For £5 we can purchase, transport and deliver a bed net that will help save lives – putting a mother and child under a bed net will help to protect them against malaria.
How can we tackle malaria? Odiaka said, “malaria carrying mosquitoes bite most at night. Sleeping under a mosquito net offers double protection providing both a physical and a chemical barrier from mosquitoes. This is one of the most simple and effective health tools available; and studies show they can cut malaria cases in children by half and deaths by 20 per cent. Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) have insecticide impregnated into the fabric of the net so it does not wash out. Each net lasts approximately 3 years
“Education underpins the fight against malaria. Understanding how malaria is transmitted and what action needs to be taken at home and in health clinics to prevent, diagnose and treat this disease is essential. Healthworkers need education and support enabling them to effectively test and treat malaria; and everyone living at risk needs to understand how they can take positive action against the disease, including sleeping under a net. Education helps protect children against malaria – and teaches them how to prevent getting bitten.
“It is used to be assumed in many areas that all fevers mean malaria – and so all were treated for malaria. However, with advances in malaria control, this is fortunately no longer the case.
“It is important now that all suspected malaria cases are confirmed by a malaria test – this universal testing policy is now being rolled out across Africa thanks to the availability of simple rapid diagnostic test kits. Those that have malaria need to be quickly treated with Atemisinin Combination Therapy (ACTs) – the most advanced and effective malaria treatment.”
There are no vaccines for malaria available. Scientists around the world are working to develop a vaccine and there are trials taking place in Africa. But the malaria parasite is proving very difficult to vaccinate against. People are hopeful in the future there will be a vaccine but in the meantime, we need to make sure people are protected from malaria and diagnosed and treated correctly.
The widespread effects of malaria impact all of the Millennium Development Goals. It puts maternal health at risk, encourages extreme poverty and prevents individuals from working or staying in education. Malaria costs developing nations billions of dollars every year and especially threatens the lives of children and women.
Millenium Development Goal 1 is eradicate extreme poverty.According to a report, malaria costs Africa approximately £8 billion/$12 billion each year and approximately one per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) loss in some countries. It also accounts for 40 per cent of health spending and 30 per cent of household health expenditures in the worse affected countries. Families suffering from malaria are forced to spend precious money on medicines and lose days of work to sickness and travelling to health clinics or hospitals.
Millenium Development Goal 2 is achieve universal education. Malaria is a major cause of absenteeism for teachers and pupils in Africa. Cerebral malaria can cause brain damage and prevent children from attending school or adults from being able to earn a wage.
Millenium Development Goal 4 is reduce childhood mortality. Malaria is one of the leading causes of childhood death worldwide. In countries such as Ghana it is the largest killer of children under 5. The disease can also attack children before they are born – causing permanent brain damage and even death. Malaria claims the lives of over 1800 children every day, according to a report.
Millenium Development goal 5 improve maternal health. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to malaria – it can lead to anaemia and in turn affect their unborn babies.
It is estimated that 10,000 pregnant women and 200,000 infants die as a result of malaria infection during pregnancy each year.
Millenium Development Goal 6 is combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases: The Global Malaria Action Plan calls for several goals to be met in the fight against malaria. People living with HIV need to take extra care in protecting themselves against malaria.
Millenium Development Goal 8 is develop global partnerships: Funding to tackle malaria has greatly increased in the past few years but this increase needs to be sustained. There have been a number of partnerships between the public and private sectors which have helped develop new medicines, tests and now potential vaccines.
World Malaria Day : Vixa Pharmaceuticals collaborates with WHO
Vixa Pharmaceutical CO. Ltd. is joining the world today to mark the seventh edition of World Malaria Day, themed: “Invest in the future: Defeat malaria”. According to the company: “We are committed to providing quality and affordable antimalarial that are in-tune with current WHO management trend while ensuring that it’s made available to those that need it throughout the federation.”“In conjunction with our foreign partners, we are also researching for newer products that can be used in the treatment of malaria in the future, considering the effect of resistance.
“Currently, our range of antimalarial includes the following brands – TAMETHER (Artemether + Lumefantrine), AXCIN –DP (Dihydroathermisinin + piperaquine), AMDIN (Artesunate + Mefloquine), SANARTEME (Artemether injection)”
WHO WE ARE
“VIXA PHARMACEUTICAL CO. Ltd. is a well-established pharmaceutical company that was incorporated in 1998 with the sole aim of manufacturing and marketing pharmaceutical products. VIXA Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd has come of age with an imposing record of more than one decade of meeting the needs of sick and needy through a range of globally sourced, best -in-class, lifesaving medicines.
“Our range of Pharmaceutical products includes critical care and super specialty products and covering the categories of Anti- Malarial, Anti-Biotic, Anti-Fungal, Anti-Emetic, Steroid, NSAIDs, Anti-Spasmodic, Anti-Hypertensive, Worm Expellant, Anti-Histamine and Anti- Psychotic drugs, etc.”
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