Challenges faced in prevention of malaria
The use of the various interventions in preventing malaria infections and deaths has faced a number of challenges including;
• Knowledge gap
Knowledge gaps exists in the community and health workers when it comes to controlling and eliminating malaria. According to Raman et al. (2016), knowledge gaps exist on how the disease is transmitted, implementation of surveillance systems, and low perception of malaria risk. Likewise, Singh, Brown and Rogerson (2013) found out that there were knowledge gaps in antenatal care, use of bed nets and mosquito density when employing vector control as a malaria prevention intervention. Similar knowledge gaps have also been identified by the World Health Organization report that argues that most people in the sub-Saharan Africa cannot access diagnostic malaria testing and treatment because of lack of awareness in the community and among caregivers (2015).
• Economic Burden of Malaria on Health System
In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria costs makes up to 40% of public health expenditure with nearly $300 million being used to manage cases (Ntonifor & Veyufambom, 2016; World Health Organization, 2015). In a comparable study, Singh, Brown and Rogerson (2013) cited high costs as the key barrier to achieving optimal coverage of ITNs. However, while the World Health Organization reported fewer malaria cases since 2001, additional testing and treatment has driven up case management costs to $330
The WHO Global Malaria Programme is responsible for evidence-based policy and strategy formulation, technical assistance, capacity building, malaria surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, and coordination of global efforts to fight malaria. WHO is also a co-founder and hosts the Roll Back Malaria partnership, which is the global framework to implement coordinated action against malaria (The World Health Organization Staff, 2010). The CDC participates actively in global malaria efforts through work with the WHO, Roll Back Malaria Partners, UNICEF, and more in the fight to keep the epidemic at bay (Global Health - Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010).
The journal benefits from a diverse, multidisciplinary, experienced and unusually international editorial board that will facilitate the publication of articles and perspectives reflecting a global view of public health medicine and epidemiology. The journal is published twice in a year. Current discussed topics are Malaria, Maternal Health, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Non-Communicable Diseases/Injuries
Malaria (also called biduoterian fever, blackwater fever, falciparum malaria, plasmodium, Quartan malaria, and tertian malaria) is one of the most infectious and most common diseases in the world. This serious, sometimes-fatal disease is caused by a parasite that is carried by a certain species of mosquito called the Anopheles. It claims more lives every year than any other transmissible disease except tuberculosis. Every year, five hundred million adults and children (around nine percent of the world’s population) contract the disease and of these, one hundred million people die. Children are more susceptible to the disease than adults, and in Africa, where ninety percent of the world’s cases occur and where eighty percent of the cases
Malaria No More is dedicated to saving these lives by eradicating this terrible disease. To accomplish this goal, this charity provides mosquito nets, medicine, and education to families in Africa.
Background - Malaria is a water borne disease. It is spread by a parasite-carrying mosquito. It kills many people and reduces a country 's capacity to develop. There are different strategies to combat malaria. Around half the population is at risk of malaria and this disease is active in 106 counties across Africa, Asian and the Americas (see source 3). the global annual mortality from malaria is between 1.5 - 3 million deaths, or between 4000 and 8000 each day. Developing countries are most vulnerable to Malaria and as shown on source 2 Malaria has been spread across many various other countries including in Europe, but these countries have eradicated Malaria.
The residents of Africa are suffering from preventable, treatable, and fatal diseases everyday at a higher rate compared to developed countries. The healthcare crisis in Africa is the primary cause of all these deaths, and includes inefficient healthcare systems. Consequently, African's inefficient healthcare systems results in poor delivery of care and a shortage of health professionals. The healthcare crisis in Africa is a current issue impacting the lives of many African's who don't have the same access to resources as developed countries such as the United States. These resources can save the lives of many African's dying of preventable and curable disease, and understanding why the African continent has little access to them
Famine has been declared in South Sudan, and is an imminent risk in Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria. Save the Children have responded to the crisis by providing food aid and cash transfers, Emergency Health Units to treat children suffering from severe malnutrition, as well as clean drinking water and technical assistance to governments to support their responses. Save the Children’s response improves health and human development by ensuring children have access to sufficient food and clean drinking water to meet their needs. This reduces the incidence of water-borne diseases and related morbidity rates. Save the Children work to treat the high malnutrition rates in conflict and drought affected countries where resources are limited. Malaria treatment and prevention measures are also available in countries such as Nigeria, ensuring health access to those living in severe poverty. These control measures are vital for preventing an increase in malaria cases across
As a social worker, one could aim to connect health care facilities in Zambia, where 1 in 5 children are dying from malaria, to Doctors without Borders, a resource sharing the privileges of modern medicine with participating countries (Harrison, et al., 2005). The doctors participating could provide the local doctors with new information on healthcare and possible prevention methods for contracting malaria including updated vaccinations and treatment. This would connect those without access to such resources to good healthcare and promote social justice by potentially decreasing the child mortality rate of children with
Malaria has been a huge problem among many developing nations over the past century. The amount of people in the entire world that die from malaria each year is between 700,000 and 2.7 million. 75% of these deaths are African children (Med. Letter on CDC & FDA, 2001). 90% of the malaria cases in the world are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Once again, the majority of these deaths are of children (Randerson, 2002). The numbers speak for themselves. Malaria is a huge problem and needs to be dealt with immediately.
In Ghana, West Africa, the fight against malaria has been on since the 1950’s (Ghana Health Services, 2014). 3.5 million People contract malaria annually, with 25% of the death of children under the age of 5 tied to malaria (UNICEF, 2007). The effect on malaria on life, economy and productivity is devastating and every attempt aimed at controlling this epidemic is well targeted. Thus, for this project, we are designing a PRECEDE-PROCEED Model (PPM) targeted at malaria control in Ghana, West Africa.
Why is malaria becoming more prevalent in Nairobi and in the Amazonian Indian villages? (4 points)
Fortunately, much progress has been made in reducing the burden of malaria since the early 2000’s. In 2005, US President Bush issued the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) which offered $1.265 billion to fight malaria (PMI, 2013). This has had a significant impact on the battle against malaria in Senegal. The Global Malaria Action Plan has also contributed solutions in collaboration
The United Nations has declared 2000-2010 the "decade to roll back malaria." The social, economic and human effects of this disease are dramatic: 40% of the world's population is currently at risk for malaria, and it kills an African child every 30 seconds(7). The presence of malaria, as that of most other endemic tropical diseases, is directly related to the precarious living conditions of people in developing countries, but is also a cause that hinders growth and development, "In Africa today, malaria is understood to be both a disease of poverty and a cause of poverty." (6). This essay aims to show the connections between disease and society in specific regards to malaria, as well as the need for a
Seventeen distinct diseases run rampant through developing countries, known as the neglected tropical diseases. They infect an average of 2.7 billion people world wide, but mainly infect those living in poverty stricken countries. These diseases can lead to life-long disabilities, disfigurement, and promote poverty. Most of the infected countries live on an average of two U.S. dollars a day with no access to healthcare, making some of the relatively cheap drug therapies unattainable. Even though the neglected tropical diseases infect over two billion people and cause an average of five-hundred thousand deaths a year respectively, research and awareness for these diseases are virtually nonexistent. Since these diseases are not found in first world countries with adequate health care, research and funding is not seen as a priority.
About 3.3 billion people, that is about half of the world’s population are at risk of contracting malaria (figure 1). Every year there are 250 million cases of malaria, and nearly 1 million deaths. That amounts to 2,732 deaths per day. Out of those million people that die every year, 800,000 of them are African children under the age of 5. To control malaria three actions need to be taken: insecticides need to be used to decrease the vector population, people have to be educated as to how to prevent the vector from reproducing, and anti-malarial drugs need to be distributed. To understand the vector and what the vector is, scientists had to first discover what the parasite was and how it worked. It was not until the year 1880 that French Physician Charles Laveran discovered that Malaria was caused by a protozoan in the genus Plasmodium (Malaria, 2013)