Protect yourself from malaria
It's vital for people to take medication prior to visiting high-risk areas to reduce the chances of being infected.
ER24 is urging people to take precautions against the life-threatening disease when travelling to high-risk areas.
Dr Danise Theron of Netcare Travel Clinics and Carlswald Medicross Family and Dental Clinic in Midrand said many South Africans are not sufficiently aware of the danger malaria poses to their health, and too many people are still dying unnecessarily because of it.
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted to people by the female Anopheles mosquito.
The parasites multiply rapidly in the liver and red blood cells of the infected person.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 198 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide in 2013, and approximately 584 000 people died from the disease, mostly children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa.
It is vital for people to take medication prior to visiting high-risk areas to reduce the chances of being infected.
In South Africa, malaria is endemic in parts of north eastern KwaZulu-Natal, parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
High-risk African countries include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Mozambique, Angola, Kenya and Malawi.
People who are at a higher risk of being infected by malaria include young children as well as pregnant women, and people from non-endemic areas.
When visiting these areas people should wear long-sleeved clothing and long pants, especially at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
They should use insect repellents, close doors and windows between dusk and dawn and use a mosquito net.
Symptoms of malaria include fever, headaches, chills, joint pain, dizziness and vomiting and they manifest one to two weeks after a person is infected.
If you experience some or all of these symptoms, visit a doctor immediately. Medication must be completed to prevent further complications or death.
