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It is a day dedicated to raising awareness and acknowledging global efforts to prevent this life-threatening disease.
This year, the theme is "Zero malaria starts with me". According to World Health Organization (WHO), "Urgent action is needed to put the global fight against malaria back on track – and the challenge lies with the countries most affected by malaria."
On the occasion of World Malaria Day, Business Insider SSA Pulse Take a look at the first three symptoms of malaria and how to fight it.
sYMPTOMS
According to WHO, the first signs of this deadly disease are
- fever,
- headache and
- chills.
These usually appear during the first 10 to 15 days after an infective mosquito bite.
Other common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, fatigue and coughing. It is advisable to seek a diagnosis as soon as you have signs of malaria.
In the absence of treatment, these signs can progress to severe anemia (lack of healthy red blood cells in sufficient quantity), respiratory distress, organ failure or even cerebral malaria.
How to fight against malaria
Current ways to fight this disease include:
- Go for a diagnosis
- Use of antimalarials. This can be used to treat and prevent malaria.
- Sleep in mosquito nets impregnated with insecticide.
The latest tool against this disease is the world's first malaria vaccine. It is currently used in Malawi.
Who is most likely to contract malaria?
Infants, children under 5, pregnant women and patients with HIV / AIDS, migrants and travelers all have a significantly higher risk of contracting malaria.
However, the risk is not limited to them. The 2017 WHO statistics show that almost half of the world's population is in danger. There were 219 million cases of malaria and 435,000 deaths from malaria worldwide.
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