Learn about malaria prevention and help fight the disease

EDUCATE yourself and help stop the spread of the disease this World Malaria Day, 25 April.

This is the 10th anniversary of World Malaria Day which was started by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is not only a day of education, as it also aims to look back on the progress made in the fight against malaria.

The disease is caused by plasmodium parasites which is spread through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. According to a report by WHO, in 2015 there were 212-million new cases of malaria worldwide with Africa accounting for 90% of these cases. About 429,000 deaths were reported in the same period due to the disease.

There is some good news however, as malaria incidence rates declined by 21% with mortality rates dropping by about 29%.

“Children under five are particularly susceptible to malaria illness, infection and death. In 2015, malaria killed an estimated 303,000 under-fives globally, including 292,000 in the African region. Between 2010 and 2015, the malaria mortality rate among children under five fell by an estimated 35%. Nevertheless, malaria remains a major killer of under-fives, claiming the life of one child every two minutes,” read a statement on the WHO website.

Malaria is both preventable and treatable with the correct education and expertise.

“Malaria is an acute febrile illness. In a non-immune individual, symptoms usually appear 10 to 15 days after the infective mosquito bite. The first symptoms – fever, headache, and chills – may be mild and difficult to recognise as malaria. If not treated within 24 hours, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness, often leading to death.

Children with severe malaria frequently develop one or more of the following symptoms: severe anaemia, respiratory distress in relation to metabolic acidosis, or cerebral malaria. In adults, multi-organ involvement is also frequent. In malaria endemic areas, people may develop partial immunity, allowing asymptomatic infections to occur.”

Test your malaria knowledge and find out more about the disease with this quiz.

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