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Malaria



According to statistics published by the World Health Organization, more than one million people die of malaria every year, and a vast majority of them are infants, young children, and pregnant women. Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and some regions of Europe are considered to be endemic regions. Malaria is commonly associated with poverty but is also a cause of poverty and a major hindrance to the economic development of a nation.

Causes and Risk Factors

Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium that are spread from person to person through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Out of the 170 species of Plasmodium, only four (P.falciparum, P.vivax, P.malariae, and P.ovale) actually cause malaria in humans. These parasites make a way into the human body, especially into the liver, through their agents, which are the infected mosquitoes. From the liver, the parasites enter the bloodstream and replace the red-blood cells by rapidly multiplying. The female mosquitoes of the Anopheles species typically act as a vector transmitting the disease through its bites.

Malaria outbreak and infection differs in intensity and regularity depending on factors such as rainfall patterns, location of mosquito breeding sites, and mosquito species. Some regions have a fairly constant number of cases throughout the year and are known as malaria endemic regions. In other areas, malaria cases develop on a cyclic basis, typically coinciding with the rainy season. Large and devastating epidemics of malaria can be triggered by weather conditions and further aggravated by complex emergencies or natural disasters.

Anyone can contract malaria, but there are possibilities of susceptibility and complications on account of the disease in young children and pregnant women. A pregnant woman afflicted by malaria can also transmit the disease to her unborn child. Those who have low immunity or have had little or no contact with the malaria parasite are also at a greater risk of contracting malaria. Traveling to an endemic region can also increase the risk of contracting malarial infection.


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