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Binita PriyambadaApr 25, 2019 09:34:00 IST
World Malaria Day is celebrated on April 25 around the world to recognize and celebrate global efforts to control and educate the public about malaria. This year, the annual event includes activities and a campaign on the theme "Zero Malaria Begins with Me".
After a decade of significant progress in the fight against malaria, progress in reducing new cases has reached a plateau since 2015. Every year, World Malaria Day offers local and global public health organizations the opportunity to collaborate with civil society, the private sector and academic institutions. , and world leaders in ramping up and fighting to completely eradicate the life-threatening disease.
We have seen a lot of progress in recent years in eradicating malaria. The most ambitious among them is the "gene drive" – a method for introducing a modified gene variant into a gene-modified mosquito swarm that will render the next generations of mosquitoes whose parents were gene-modified sterile. In areas where malaria is widespread, mosquitoes, especially women Anopheles the mosquitoes responsible for transporting malaria parasites from infected to healthy people reproduce rapidly. The gene reader is a judicious use of gene modification technology to sterile these harmful malaria mosquitoes. For many years, the presence of genes could lead to the total eradication of mosquitoes (which seems undeniably enjoyable), but could result in irreversible changes in the natural ecosystem.
Other advances have taken the form of a new malaria vaccine developed by WHO in Africa, a origami style diagnostic device for remote areas without access to professional diagnostics, large-scale drug discovery efforts treat infection and research on vulnerabilities of the parasite causing malaria this could make it an easier target to fight for the immune system.
Malaria puts the health of more than half of the world's population at risk and kills one child every two minutes. According to World Malaria Report 2018An estimated 219 million cases of malaria have been reported worldwide and no significant progress has been observed globally in reducing malaria cases despite the efforts made. However, for the year 2017, India accounted for only 4% of all reported malaria cases worldwide and registered 3 million fewer cases than in 2016.
India is no longer among the top three countries affected by malaria.
Mortality due to malaria worldwide starting in 2017. Image credit: WHO
How is malaria caused?
Malaria is a vector-borne, life-threatening disease caused by parasites of the genus. Plasmodium.
The parasites spread by the bite of a woman Anopheles mosquito already infected with the malaria parasite. Fever, headache and chills are the first symptoms of the infection. Children with this condition may also develop some other symptoms such as severe anemia, respiratory distress and cerebral malaria. If the disease is not treated in time, the situation gets worse. It is known that an untreated disease can eventually lead to organ failure and even death.
Preventive measures against malaria
Malaria can be prevented by adhering to simple measures. Vector control, which requires people to take all the necessary precautions to prevent mosquito bites, is the most commonly recommended preventive measure against malaria. These measures can be attributed to the use of full protective clothing, mosquito repellent, mosquito nets, etc. Pregnant women and children are advised to administer antimalarials that help reduce the risk of malaria infection.
Malaria prevention works. Image credit: WHO
Diagnosis and treatment of malaria
Timely diagnosis of malaria is essential for the condition to improve and prevent it from becoming a life-threatening infection. Malaria is diagnosed with a simple microscopic or diagnostic test with a patient's blood sample.
After the diagnosis, depending on the parasite that infected the person, a personalized treatment plan is advised by the doctor. For example, patients with a simple infection from Plasmodium falciparum are initially treated with ACTs (artemisinin-based combination therapy). A single dose of primaquine may also be added to the antimalarial treatment to reduce transmission of the infection.
Infections caused by Plasmodium vivax can usually be treated with ACTs and chloroquine. In case of severe infection, artesunate can be injected intravenously or intramuscularly.
Despite all the technical and scientific progress, no vaccination to treat malaria has yet been discovered. The war against malaria is half won if we all come together to make a collective effort to eradicate the disease from its root. The disease can be completely eliminated with only a few active efforts, just like polio and smallpox.
On this World Malaria Day, let us commit ourselves to do everything we can, at the individual level, to prevent the disease from spreading.
The author is a senior consultant in the docprime.com medical team.
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