The wheel of time keeps churning, and out comes the same day, same seasons and occasion, but with a difference. So here we are again welcoming summer, gearing up for the heat, welcoming the bloom of flowers and respite of cold things. With hibernation over, all life comes out including the blood sucking fiends. I am talking about none other than mosquitoes. It’s not just that they are a nuisance but also host for many diseases.
One of such common and mass affecting diseases is Malaria. It’s accompanied the world for quite some time. Owing to all these reasons WHO declared April 25th as World Malaria day (WMD). It’s internationally observed by all member states and is an attempt to improve policies and beat malaria out of the world.
A staggering 300-600 million people fall victim of Malaria. The fight against malaria is ongoing and getting stronger. Researches show that we have about 60% global reduction in numbers since 2000.
The good part is that malaria is preventable and curable! As many of us would know that malaria happens from the bite of female Anopheles mosquito. It then turns into fevers, chills, sweating, vomiting and other symptoms. It can attack multiple organs. For pregnant women and children, it is even more severe, it may lead to anemia, weight loss, termination of pregnancy.
By now we know, that each year there is a theme attached to the occasion, this year for WMD it is ‘End Malaria For Good’. The good news it is achievable. If we all work together we can beat malaria and the remaining 91 countries with malaria can be free of it as well, if not mosquitoes.
The prevention strategy works best in this regard. Here are a few pointers on how:
- Using bed-net and cover/closing doors and windows during evening and night
- Use mosquito and insect repellent, pharmacies have loads of them!
- Keep surroundings clean and stay in cooler rooms
- If visiting a place with malaria conditions, use prescribed anti-malarial drugs
- Lastly, if you feel any symptoms contact a doctor and follow the advice immediately
I know that in our busy lives, we become carefree for things or issues like these. Yet WMD is not just a day in the calendar, it is a necessity. A requirement if we really want to free ourselves of this disease and live a healthy life, we ought to care about it and do what it takes.
