Studied by 0 peopleWhat is malaria?
a tropical, water-borne disease that is biologically transmitted by female anopheles mosquitoes
it is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium family
What group is the most at risk from malaria?
Children under 5- in 2018 they accounted for 67% of malaria deaths worldwide and it is estimated malaria kills one child every minute worldwide
Are deaths due to malaria decreasing (statistics)?
Yes, for example:
in 2018 there were an estimated 405,000 deaths caused by malaria in comparison to 585,000 in 2010
How many people is malaria estimated to have killed throughout history?
Malaria is estimated to have killed over half the people who have ever lived on Earth.
In what reigon is malaria most prevalent?
Africa
In what reigons is malaria least prevalent?
Europe and the Americas
How is the spread of malaria related to the physical environment?
mosquitos breed in stagnant water meaning transmission is higher in areas close to large bodies of water of after/during the rainy season
parasites require temperatures of 16 to 32 degrees celsius inside the mosquito which conenctrates disease in tropics
How is the incidence of malaria related to the socio-economic envrionment?
referred to as the 'disease of poverty'
when measured as DALYs, 58% of total global burden due to malaria is concentrated in poorest 20% of population
What are nine socio-economic factors that can increase the incidence of malaria?
income, age and gender, ethnicity, occupation, healthcare accessibility, education, sanitation, housing quality, rural vs. urban environments
What is the definition of well-being?
The state of being comfortable, healthy or happy.
What are four impacts of malaria on economic well-being (including to the government and to the individual)?
Purchase of anti-malarial drugs, treatment supplies and prevention measures
Abscence from school and work
Reduction in subsistence crop production
Expense of burial
What overall effects do these impacts have on the economy?
Slow economic growth
Slow rates of development
A prolonged cycle of poverty
What are three strategies to reduce malarial infection?
Prevention
Management
Eradication
What are ways to incorporate management and prevention?
Physical barrier like IRS nets and chemical barriers like preventative treatment during pregnancy
Investment in 'swift' diagnosis
Drug treatment of disease using Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs)
Control of vector using insecticides
What are some NGOs that work to combat malaria?
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The WHO
The US President's malaria intiative -Malaria no more charity
How does the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation work to combat malaria?
They pursue a 'Pathway to Eradication' using the following strategies:
Optimise coverage of chemoprevention
Support next generation surveillance and data use with an emphasis on scaling genetic epidemiology
Work in high burden countries to rapidly reduce deaths through data-driven systems (aligned with High Burden to High Impact initiative launched by the WHO in November 2018)
What is the general role of NGOs and international agencies in combating malaria (funding)?
Global financing of malaria control programmes increased from US$90 million to US$2.5 billion between 2005-2015
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributed $1.6 billion to the global fund and $2 billion in grants
What are the Millennium Development Goals and how do they relate to malaria?
Goals set up by the UN to improve quality of life across the world
Goal 6c is halting and beginning to reverse the incidence of malaria by 2015
Why was the 6c MDG successful?
Yes:
the incidence rate of malaria decreased by 37% between 2000 and 2015 per 1000 people at risk
proportion of children sleeping under IRS nets and being treated for fever with anti-malarial drugs increased by over 100% between 2000 and 2015
58% decline in malaria mortality rates globally
Why was the 6c MDG unsuccessful?
In most cases, it failed to halt the incidence of malaria, just to reduce it/manage it.
How does housing quality and occupancy affect the incidence of malaria?
Windows in poor-quality housing are uncovered so don't protect against mosquitoes
Densely populated houses mean easier transmission
How do unsanitary conditions increase the incidence of malaria?
Malarial 'hotspots' are often dirty and crowded public places, where mosquitoes are attracted by wastewater outflows, open defecation and spitting
For example: Chennai in southern India
How does occuptaion increase the incidence of malaria?
Agricultural workers are often near large stores of irrigation water where mosquitoes can breed.
Migrant workers often sleep outside and are more exposed to mosquitoes.
For example: studies in Ethiopia found highland farmers who seasonally migrate to lowland areas are very prone to malaria
How do age and gender increase the incidence of malaria?
Children under five are thought to be the most prone
For example: studies in Tanzania and Gambia indicate children aged 5-14 are most at risk now due to more focus on prevention in younger age groups
How does ethnicity increase the incidence of malaria?
It can mean different attitudes towards health and education, especially when looking at treatment
For example: non-Thais searching for work in Thailand have greater malaria exposure
How do rural vs. urban environments increase the incidence of malaria?
Rural areas tend to be more vulnerable (generally less education, further from healthcare facilities etc.)
However, urban areas often have high infection rates due to poor sanitation and dense populations
How does (low) income increase the incidence of malaria?
Low-income groups tend to spend less on preventative measures and have poor nourishment so cerebral malaria is common, especially among children
Disproportionately affects agricultural workers who often earn a small, seasonal salary (no money for prevention in malarial season)
How does (lack of) education increase the incidence of malaria?
those with less education tend to lack understanding of the causes of malaria and are less likely or less able to invest in preventative measures
For example: studies in Malawi found net ownership was largely absent in households where the head hadn't completed primary education
How does distance and accessibility of healthcare affect the incidence of malaria?
Greater distance to nearest clinics/hospitals means fewer seek treatment or prevention and methods are employed less frequently
Where is Uganda located?
Uganda is located in East Africa, bordering Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kigali and the DRC
What were the statistics for malaria in Uganda in 2015?
3.6 million cases of malaria
almost 6000 deaths
Why does Uganda experience year round transmission?
Equatorial climate with high temperatures (constant at about 22.5 degrees Celsius) and lots of rainfall
Lots of large bodies of water (e.g. Lake Victoria) with high population densities
What other factors (non environmental) cause Uganda to suffer from malaria?
Poor country with limited access to resources, with 37.8% of the population living on less than $1.25 per day
Mosquitoes are becoming resistant to insecticides
Insecticide-treated nets are not used properly
Population density is concentrated around large bodies of water
How is Uganda combatting malaria?
Improved drainage and irrigation in rural areas
Afro Alpine Pharma factory opened in 2009 to grow locally produced anti-malarial drugs at a cheaper cost and employs more than 5,000 farmers
A focus on early diagnosis and prompt treatment
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