Public Health Malaria

"No other disease in the course of human history has had as profound effect on human development and well-being as malaria." Hundreds of millions of people throughout history have died of this disease. Up to 7,000 people die from malaria every day, primarily children in sub-Saharan Africa. For every person who dies of malaria itself, another three who have it die from problems such as malnutrition, anemia, or diarrhea. While AIDS now kills 3 million annually, the death toll from malaria and malaria-related illnesses exceeds that.

Why malaria has been gathering strength in recent years The parasites which cause malaria now resist most anti-malarial drugs——a circumstance which makes treatment more complicated and expensive. Poverty, war, and civil strife in sub-Saharan Africa have made it hard for governments to implement preventive and curative measures.

Why malaria is getting worse Drug-resistant strains of the parasite which causes malaria have emerged in virtually all areas of the world where the disease is endemic (native). Environmental changes such as irrigation, dam building, deforestation and social changes such as lack of medicine and sanitation in areas disrupted by war have contributed to malaria gaining ground in rural areas. Mosquitoes also seem to be adapting to urban areas, especially rapidly expanding tropical cities. Climatic instability (for example, global warming) may allow malaria parasites and mosquitoes to return to areas (like the southern United States) which have been malaria free for years.

The special vulnerability of pregnant women to malaria In 1995 sub-Saharan Africa, 400,000 pregnant women contracted severe anemia induced by malaria. Up to 10,000 of them died (one in forty). Pregnant women with malaria are at higher risk for miscarriages, stillbirths, and having babies with low birth weight.

The special vulnerability of children to malaria In Kenya one in twenty children is so anemic from repeated bouts of malaria that in America they would be considered so ill that an emergency blood transfusion in a hospital would be required. In sub-Saharan Africa there are 600,000 attacks of cerebral malaria (120,000 fatalities). Those children who live suffer from such neurological difficulties as learning disorders, behavioral problems, speech disorders, hearing impairment, paralysis, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy.  In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria is directly responsible for about 30 percent of childhood deaths and contributes to up to 60 percent of infant and child deaths.

How does malaria deepen the poverty of already poor people? Parents often react to high infant and child mortality by having even more children which lowers the investment in education per child Yes No Do not know

How does malaria deepen the poverty of already poor people? Many of the 1.2 billion people who live on $1 a day are in developing countries that are at risk for malaria A. Yes B. No C. Do not know

How does malaria deepen the poverty of already poor people? In some areas malaria-stricken households spend up to $40 a month on malaria prevention and treatment. A. Yes B. No C. Do not know

How does malaria deepen the poverty of already poor people? There is a loss of income when the bread-winners in the family contract malaria. A. Yes B. No C. Do not know

Astonishment and Malaria Will people 100 years from now be astonished by the lack of progress? Yes No Too early to tell