Today, it’s true that the world evidently battles against the pandemic – an unfamiliar Coronavirus disease.
Albeit, as we vehemently wage the war against this virus, it’s also pathetic espying that there are other fast killing diseases we seem to have slurred over, part of which is the malaria infection. Apparently, malaria is not only a household disease in our community. It’s also a quotidian ailment that knocks about the vulnerable doors of people residing in this part of the continent. Malaria is a mosquito-borne illness affecting humans and animals. It’s caused by parasitic protozoans and transmitted through the bite of the female anopheles mosquito. The plasmodium parasites which causes malaria are prevailing, affecting a wide range of vertebrae species on which they impose fitness cost. Some infect monkeys, rodents, birds, lizards, not to talk of the impact it has on humans.
Indubitably, Nigeria remains a major obsessing ground for this unceasing disease, as it dwells adamantly and uncompromisingly on its shores and other parts of Africa, Asia, and America.
It’s specifically baleful to infants, pregnant women and the ones whose health is susceptible to illnesses. In 2018, The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that malaria is the leading cause of death for children who are under five in West Africa; they accounted for 67% (272 000) of all malaria deaths worldwide. It unnerves observing that malaria is indubitably the fastest killing disease in Africa; the estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 405 000 in 2018, compared with 416 000 deaths in 2017, fast killing than the COVID-19. The (WHO) African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2018, the region was home to 93% of malaria cases and 94% of malaria deaths. Studies from National Malaria Eradication Programme (NMEP) in 2015 unclogged that Africa bears 80% of the global burden, while Nigeria represents 27% of the percentage of which are mostly affected by the indigent parts of her community, of whom are exposed to the risks of being contaminated. Sad enough, the set of the pauperized community is ridiculed to nothing, as they might not be able to get enough money getting drugs and combating this disease.
The anopheles mosquito doesn’t lag or droop in gulping blood from humans, as most of the breeding sites are largely created by humans. Anopheles mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, which hatch into larvae, eventually emerging as adult mosquitoes. The female mosquitoes seek a blood meal to nurture their eggs. Each species of Anopheles mosquito has its own preferred aquatic habitat; Mosquitos tend to survive in polluted water, areas characterised with heavy metals and for mosquitoes and some urban residents are unmotivated to dump the water even if they are aware. Mosquitoes can be however be managed using an integrated approach that relies mostly on prevention, using biological and chemical controls when necessary. The key strategy is to eliminate all potential breeding sites; even one ounce of standing water can support a population of larvae.
Consequently, Malaria is an entirely preventable and treatable disease if tackled early enough, although there are growing problems with drug resistance that are posing a threat to the global fight against malaria. No doubt, there has been some progress in reducing the burden through prompt case management and vector control particularly with the use of drugs. However, it’s evident and ringing that many of our communities, most especially the rural areas still sag behind, and shows that more swift effort still needs to be taken to alleviate the ceaseless case of malaria. Yet, as surveyed, the treatment of malaria depends on so many factors which include the severity of the disease, the species of the malaria parasites, and the part of the world in which the infection was acquired. Moreover, while treating malaria combinations of drugs are also used to try to prevent the parasite from developing resistance to the individual drugs on their own. This is the strategy used in artemisinin combination therapy (ACT), which uses an artemisinin-based drug plus one partner drug. ACT is currently the front-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Therein, there might be challenges while trying to get rid of these infection created by a mosquito, such as malaria parasite can become resistant to an antimalarial drug, the drug takes longer to kill all the parasites in the body and it takes longer for the patient to stop having the symptoms of malaria. Also, the problem of drug resistance is further complicated by a process called cross-resistance. This is when resistance to one drug also enables the parasite to be resistant to another drug that works by a similar mechanism. In some cases too the drug may be completely ineffective and fail to remove all of the parasites from the body.
Thereupon, it’s not the question of whether malaria can be alleviated or eliminated from our various local communities. Tackling malaria requires the participation of all, not just the government.
Individuals and communities especially the people living in rural areas should practice hygiene and improve housing structure which can significantly reduce mosquito entry and reduce the risk of infections.
The government should also plant a quality health care system where malaria victims can be well taken care of, and put up an emergency fight as the same energy she uses against the Coronavirus. Strategies should also be developed to ensure that different insecticides are rotated frequently to duck mosquitos becoming resistant to them. Finally, victims should avoid self-medication as they should do the needful by visiting their health care units, ensuring we have a malaria-free society.
Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun writes from the University of Ibadan
