Malaria Related Deaths - Essay Example

Malaria Billions of people worldwide live in areas at risk of malaria transmission. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia account for ninety eight percent of malaria related deaths. Africa has the highest percentage of deaths resulting from malaria mainly in children under the age of five years. HIV/AIDS and malaria co-infection is a major problem across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In Africa, malaria falls after HIV/AIDS being the second major cause of death. Fewer cases of malaria infection are reported in the United States every year. Most cases involve immigrants and American’s visiting malaria prone regions. Since the early 1950’s efforts to eradicate malaria in the United States have been fruitful. Keywords: Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Immigrant, Malaria, Plasmodium, Protozoa, Parasite, Species, Host, Vector, Organism, Infectious, Transmission, Transfusion, Mortality, Morbidity, Obstacle, Eradicate, Strategy, Prevention and Treatment. Malaria Malaria is caused by a parasite known as plasmodium which is a type of protozoa; the parasite is transmitted through bites from infected anopheles mosquitoes. There are approximately twenty different species of this mosquito, the severity of transmission lies on the human host, factors related to the parasite, the vector and the environment. Protozoa is a single celled organism that is able to multiply within the human body infecting the red blood cells. Due to this malaria is a highly infectious disease with serious cases leading to death. Infection from more than one species of plasmodium can occur. There are four common plasmodium species that cause malaria: 1. Plasmodium falciparum This is the most serious type. It causes the most deadly type of malaria which is known as falciparum malaria. 2. Plasmodium vivax It causes the most common type of malaria and is the most dominant malaria species found outside Africa. 3. Plasmodium malariae This parasite is transmitted through anopheles mosquitoes. T causes Quartan malaria which is the main type of malaria infection found in warm regions of the world. 4. Plasmodium ovale It causes a relatively mild type of malaria called ovale malaria. Infection from this protozoan is not serious and ends spontaneously. A new and dangerous type of malaria known as p. knowlesi malaria has also been found. It is caused by a protozoan found in long-tailed and pigtail macaque monkeys known as Plasmodium Knowlesi. Symptoms of malaria include flu-like illnesses involving high fever, headaches, shaking chills, muscle pains, vomiting and/or nausea. Demographics Malaria transmission occurs in nine South American countries that share the amazon, eight countries in Central America and two countries sharing the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. In the United States, cases of locally transmitted malaria have been few. Most cases of infection have been reported from people arriving from other countries. Three main cases of malaria namely “airport” malaria, congenital malaria and transfusion-transmitted malaria exist in the United States. Infected mosquitoes are transported by aircrafts from malaria endemic countries to non-endemic countries causing “airport” malaria. Congenital malaria occurs as mother to child transmission when infected mothers transmit parasites to their unborn children and during delivery. Transmitted through blood transfusion, transfusion-transmitted malaria is serious in blood recipients though rare in the United States. In Kenya, malaria is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity causing deaths of many children below the age of five years. Miscarriages and anemia in pregnant women are also common. Approximately thirty four thousand children under five years die every year in Kenya. Seventy seven percent of Kenya’s population lives in malaria prone regions, thirty percent of out-patient visits and fifteen percent of all hospital admissions are a result of malaria related illnesses. Every year, approximately six thousand pregnant women suffer from malaria-associated anemia, and four thousand babies are born with low birth weight as a result of maternal anemia. Economically, 170 million working days in Kenya are lost each year because of malaria illness (USAID, 2012). In South East Asia, transmission of malaria differs greatly. Most areas are low risk, major cities and tourist resorts have no reported cases of malaria but falciparum malaria has been reported in hilly, forested areas and along international borders. Most deaths from malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease causes major obstacles to social and economic development in Africa. Africa is home to the most deadly and efficient species of malaria transmitting mosquitoes with many countries lacking efficient means to eradicate malaria. The disease mainly affects poor African communities; the main challenge towards eradication of the disease is drug resistance. UNICEFs World Malaria Report for 2005 reported that there were three hundred to five hundred million cases of malaria each year and one million deaths from malaria each year. Malaria costs Africas economy twenty billion United States dollars each year. Intervention Descriptions A malaria Strategy plan to reduce malaria and the poverty related to it in Africa was established. The strategy is co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Agency for International Development. The Department of Health and Human Services has two major Operational Divisions focused on combating malaria namely; National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control (CDC). They lead and support prevention and control, science, public health, case management, and research. Development for new products like diagnostic tests and vaccines is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Major international programs have also been established for worldwide control of malaria for example the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the World Bank Malaria Booster Program. Global Fund is a dedicated to collecting and disbursing resource to prevent and treat AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It is a partnership among governments, civil societies, private sectors and affected communities representing a new approach to international health financing. In 2009, President Barrack Obama approved Lantos-Hyde U.S. Global Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act legislation. The United State invested sixty three billion dollars over six years to help partner countries improve health outcomes, with a particular focus on improving the health of women, children and newborns. Targets have been laid by the Global Malaria Action Plan to: 1. To achieve worldwide coverage of at-risk populations with a malaria prevention package and treatment measures by December 2010. 2. To reduce the number of worldwide malaria cases by fifty percent in 2010 and by seventy five percent in 2015. 3. To reduce worldwide malaria deaths from the levels observed in 2000 by fifty percent in 2010 and almost zero by 2015. 4. To support gradual elimination of malaria in other countries from 2015 to 2030. To prevent transfusion-transmitted malaria, all prospective donors are carefully questioned. Roll back malaria which is a global partnership has been effective in prevention and treatment of malaria. Over half of malaria-endemic African countries have established Country Strategic Plans with local partnerships among countries in Africa such as Integrated Management of Childhood Illness and Making Pregnancy Safer with an aim of improving access to key interventions. In Kenya, four key interventions have been implemented for prevention and treatment of malaria, they include indoor residual spraying, provision of insecticide- treated mosquito nets, purchase and distribution of life saving drugs and intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women. Regular doses of doxycycline or Malarone are recommended for people working or spending periods of time on the Thai borders since malaria is resistant to many drugs. Precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes are recommended for spending short times near the border with immediate medical attention advised incase of fever. Preventive medicines are not needed in China but people travelling to remote areas are advised to seek medical advice or take chloroquine. Conclusion Worldwide prevention and eradication of malaria should be an initiative of every country. Healthy communities are productive; with prevention of malaria budgets spent by countries on the fight against malaria will be reduced and/ or used in other productive activities. On the other hand mortality and morbidity rates especially in Africa will decline as well as a range of other malaria related problems. References Global Health.gov (2012). Malaria. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://www.globalhealth.gov/global-health-topics/communicable-diseases/malaria/index.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010). CDC and Malaria. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/activities.html USAID Kenya (2012). Malaria. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://kenya.usaid.gov/programs/health/72 The united States President Emergency Plan (2012). Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://www.pepfar.gov/press/strategy_briefs/138406.htm President’s Malaria Initiative (2010). Lantos-Hyde United States Government Malaria Strategy. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://www.pmi.gov/resources/reports/usg_strategy2009-2014.pdf MedlinePlus (2012). Malaria. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/malaria.html The travel doctor (2012). Malaria information page. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/malaria.htm 1. http://www.globalhealth.gov/global-health-topics/communicable-diseases/malaria/index.html UNICEFs World Malaria Report for 2005 reported that there were three hundred to five hundred million cases of malaria each year and one million deaths from malaria each year. Malaria costs Africas economy twenty billion United States dollars each year. A malaria Strategy plan to reduce malaria and the poverty related to it in Africa was established. The strategy is co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Agency for International Development. The Department of Health and Human Services has two major Operational Divisions focused on combating malaria namely; National Institutes of Health and Centers For Disease Control (CDC). They lead and support prevention and control, science, public health, case management, and research. Development for new products like diagnostic tests and vaccines is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. 2. http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/activities.html In the United States, cases of locally transmitted malaria have been few. Most cases of infection have been reported from people arriving from other countries. Three main cases of malaria namely “airport” malaria, congenital malaria and transfusion-transmitted malaria exist in the United States. Infected mosquitoes are transported by aircrafts from malaria endemic countries to non-endemic countries causing “airport” malaria. Congenital malaria occurs as mother to child transmission when infected mothers transmit parasites to their unborn children and during delivery. Transmitted through blood transfusion, transfusion-transmitted malaria is serious in blood recipients though rare in the United States. 3. http://kenya.usaid.gov/programs/health/72 Seventy seven percent of Kenya’s population lives in malaria prone regions, thirty percent of out-patient visits and fifteen percent of all hospital admissions are a result of malaria related illnesses. Every year, approximately six thousand pregnant women suffer from malaria-associated anemia, and four thousand babies are born with low birth weight as a result of maternal anemia. Economically, 170 million working days in Kenya are lost each year because of malaria illness (USAID, 2012). 4. http://www.pepfar.gov/press/strategy_briefs/138406.htm Global Fund is a dedicated to collecting and disbursing resources to prevent and treat AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It is a partnership among governments, civil societies, private sectors and affected communities representing a new approach to international health financing. 5. http://www.pmi.gov/resources/reports/usg_strategy2009-2014.pdf In 2009, President Barrack Obama approved Lantos-Hyde U.S. Global Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act legislation. The United State invested sixty three billion dollars over six years to help partner countries improve health outcomes, with a particular focus on improving the health of women, children and newborns. Targets have been laid by the Global Malaria Action Plan to: 5. To achieve worldwide coverage of at-risk populations with a malaria prevention package and treatment measures by December 2010. 6. To reduce the number of worldwide malaria cases by fifty percent in 2010 and by seventy five percent in 2015. 7. To reduce worldwide malaria deaths from the levels observed in 2000 by fifty percent in 2010 and almost zero by 2015. 8. To support gradual elimination of malaria in other countries from 2015 to 2030. 6. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000621.htm Malaria is caused by a parasite known as plasmodium which is a type of protozoa; the parasite is transmitted through bites from infected anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms of malaria include flu-like illnesses involving high fever, headaches, shaking chills, muscle pains, vomiting and/or nausea. 7. http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/malaria.htm There are four common plasmodium species that cause malaria: 1. Plasmodium falciparum This is the most serious type. It causes the most deadly type of malaria which is known as falciparum malaria. 2. Plasmodium vivax It causes the most common type of malaria and is the most dominant malaria species found outside Africa. 3. Plasmodium malariae This parasite is transmitted through anopheles mosquitoes. T causes Quartan malaria which is the main type of malaria infection found in warm regions of the world. 4. Plasmodium ovale It causes a relatively mild type of malaria called ovale malaria. Infection from this protozoan is not serious and ends spontaneously.   Read More