Malaria Power point revision With updates at the end

MALARIA A disease of the developing world The Physical, Human, and Environmental factors which contribute to the spread of the disease

The physical factors These are landscape, and climatic factors.

The physical factors Malaria is found between 65degs N and 40degs S and below 3000m in altitude.

The physical factors The anopheles mosquito needs humidity of 60% (not less than 25%), and mean monthly temperatures of over 18degs C (but above 32 degs C survival rates fall).

The physical factors The female mosquito needs human blood as food to complete the breeding cycle, but can survive on animal blood which keeps the disease ever present.

The physical factors They need still (stagnant) water surfaces as breeding areas, but these areas do not need to be large.

The physical factors Water in a hoof print, an old tin can, a used tyre, all the way up to irrigation ditches, padi fields, and reservoirs offer potential breeding sites to anopheles mosquitoes.

The human factors These are factors created by human activity.

The human factors Nearby settlements to provide a ‘blood reservoir’ for female mosquitoes.

The human factors Mosquito breeding is encouraged by bad sanitation and poor irrigation or drainage that leaves standing water uncovered – eg. tank wells, water barrels.

The human factors Migration is now very common and this makes it easier for the disease to spread.

The human factors Exposure of bare skin on a nightly basis, from dusk until dawn results in the spread of the disease.

The human factors People living in overcrowded conditions provide an easier target for the mosquitoes.

The environmental factors These are factors created by the background environment.

The environmental factors Hot wet climates such as those experienced in the tropical rainforests or monsoon areas of the world.

The environmental factors Regularly flooded areas with poor drainage which have standing water for long periods.

The environmental factors Areas of shade in which the female mosquito can digest human blood.

MALARIA A disease of the developing world Describe, describe and evaluate, describe, and explain, assess the effectiveness of measures/strategies/methods used to control/combat the spread of the disease.

MALARIA Control methods and their effectiveness Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes:

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Insecticides(all oil-based) – eg DDT – however this was deemed environmentally harmful – impacts on the food chain. In addition the mosquitoes build up a resistance to chemical insecticides. Malathion was popular – now banned by EU.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: However countries which haven’t used DDT for decades (South Africa, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Zambia) are now using it again for indoor spraying at lower concentrations.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: It is proving effective, as the mosquitoes seem to have lost their tolerance for it. Its environmental effects should be reduced as this is not the blanket spraying of the past.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Mustard seeds – become wet and sticky and drag mosquito larvae under the water – this drowns them.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Vegetable oil sprayed on the surface of standing water suffocates the mosquito larvae. Only a thin film required, but environmental side effects to consider.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Egg-white sprayed on water – suffocates larvae by clogging up their breathing tubes. Perhaps impractical and wasteful of food.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Bti bacteria grown in coconuts. Fermented coconuts are, after a few days, broken open and thrown into mosquito infected ponds. The larvae eat the bacteria and have their stomach lining destroyed!!

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Cheap, environmentally friendly and 2/3 coconuts will control a typical pond for up to 45 days. However, wastes potential food.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Larvae eating fish – effective (provided they aren’t eaten before the end of the malaria season) and a useful additional source of protein.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Drainage of swamps and standing water – requires much effort – not always practicable in the tropics with constantly high rainfall.

MALARIA Attempts to eradicate the mosquitoes: Planting eucalyptus trees that soak up excess moisture. However they are non native trees and often struggle to adapt to the conditions. They are also cut down for fuel use.

MALARIA A disease of the developing world Treating those suffering from malaria:

MALARIA Treating those suffering from malaria: Drugs Chloroquine – easy to use/cheap but mosquitoes have developed resistance to it

MALARIA Treating those suffering from malaria: Drugs Larium – powerful, greater protection – but can have harmful side-effects

MALARIA Treating those suffering from malaria: Drugs Malarone – fairly new drug – said to be 98% effective – few side effects

MALARIA Treating those suffering from malaria: Artemisinin – from the Artemisia plant - is showing real promise, but fears of resistance build-up mean it should only be used in combination treatments to maintain effectiveness.

MALARIA Treating those suffering from malaria: Vaccines – none yet available. Several have looked promising and led to field trials eg. in the Gambia, but have not prevented malaria infections.

MALARIA Prevention of infection: Education programmes in the use of insect repellents eg Autan, DEET. Often unable to afford them(DEET has toxicity allegations)

Covering the skin when the mosquitoes are most active. MALARIA Prevention of infection:

Mesh coverings over windows/door openings to keep mosquitoes out, often not practical.

MALARIA Prevention of infection: Sleep under a treated mosquito net. Frequently unaffordable, even charities like Merlin can’t give them away.

MALARIA Prevention of infection: The WHO ‘Roll back malaria’ campaign, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ($50M donated to fighting malaria so far) hope to make bed nets widely available by 2015.

MALARIA Prevention of infection: Sumitomo of Japan, and US oil company Exxon have combined to produce insecticides and resins at cost, which enable the cheap production of mosquito nets which last more than 5 years.

MALARIA A disease of the developing world How would eradication or control of the disease benefit developing countries?

MALARIA How would eradication or control of the disease benefit developing countries? Saving money on health care, medicine, doctors, drugs etc.

MALARIA How would eradication or control of the disease benefit developing countries? Reduction in the national debt, allowing money to be spent internally on health, education, housing etc.

MALARIA How would eradication or control of the disease benefit developing countries? Healthier workforce, increasing productivity, escape from subsistence farming.

MALARIA How would eradication or control of the disease benefit developing countries? Longer life expectancy, decreased infant mortality rate, and therefore decreased birth rates.

MALARIA How would eradication or control of the disease benefit developing countries? A reduction in rural to urban migration as effective treatment given to country dwellers, thereby reducing pressure on cities.

MALARIA How would eradication or control of the disease benefit developing countries? More tourists may be attracted if there was less risk of contracting malaria – more job opportunities, foreign currency earnings, increased prosperity.

Music Fila Brazillia The bugs will bite Album - A Touch Of Cloth Four Tet No more mosquitoes Album - Pause Rob Dougan Nothing at all Album Furious Angels

Pictures provided by the Geography Higher class Portree High School

Updates on the fight against Malaria The WHO reported recently that it expects Artemisinin to have become almost ineffective in the next 4 to 5 years, owing to resistance becoming widespread in the Plasmodium parasite.

The latest scientific development is WMD (weapon of mosquito destruction) which is in the lab development stage (sponsored by the Gates Foundation). This involves equipment which detects the wing beat of female mosquitoes and zaps them with a laser. This makes them less likely to bite, and therefore to breed.