World Malaria Day – Precautions to Protect Yourself From the Life-Threatening Disease

Malaria is a life-threatening disease that can be fatal. The world has made some progress in controlling malaria, but much more work remains to be done, particularly in areas that are hard to reach and have high transmission rates. The Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP) is a unified strategy prioritizing control, elimination, and research.

It is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which spreads from mosquito to human through a blood meal. Most people become infected by a mosquito bite, which is why it is essential to prevent being bitten and seek medical attention quickly if you have any symptoms of malaria.

Malaria is a severe tropical disease that can be fatal if not treated and diagnosed immediately. It is spread by certain types of mosquitoes, most of which live in Africa.

There are a few precautions that you can take to help protect yourself from the life-threatening disease: remove standing water and other sources of stagnant water, use mosquito repellent with ingredients such as picaridin, lemon, eucalyptus oil, or DEET, and stay indoors whenever possible.

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You can also consult a doctor if you have any fever, sweats, chills, or other signs of illness. They can test your blood for malaria to see if you have the parasite and give you an antimalarial medication to help stop it from spreading to other body parts.

WHO encourages all healthcare providers to conduct quick and accurate diagnostic tests for malaria. First, a sample of your blood is taken, and then the malaria parasites are detected using a microscope. This test can be performed anytime, even if you don’t have symptoms or have recently been to a malaria-endemic country.

In the last few years, India has seen an 85.1 percent decline in malaria cases and 83.36 percent in deaths from 2015 to 2022, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data. The figures are particularly encouraging, considering that India was the highest malaria-endemic country in the world in 2009.

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, said: “Malaria is not just a public health issue, but it also plays a significant role in the social, economic, and political life of people.” He added: “It is essential to ensure a strong national strategy is put in place and resources are available to help implement this.”

On World Malaria Day, WHO launched a campaign to drive a shift in awareness towards malaria prevention and treatment. Its theme for this year is ‘Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement.’ The campaign is supported by CDC and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and aims to raise investment, research, and collaboration for malaria control and elimination.

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