Monday, April 9, 2012

Every child deserves a 5th Birthday

April 25th is World Malaria Day. We are lucky back home to not have to worry so much with mosquitoes. They are just annoying, may cause the occasional West Nile outbreak but for the most part they aren’t a real threat. But in countries all over the world, Malaria is one of the top reasons why children don’t reach their 5th birthday. Malaria (NOT HIV) is the number one killer in Africa and its cause by a pesky female mosquito.

I’m aware that most people aren’t too clear about what malaria is and does so a little refresher is in order. Malaria is an infectious disease that comes from being bitten by an infected female mosquito. The females are the only ones to carry the parasite that cause malaria and is only a threat from dusk to dawn. Once the infected mosquito bites you, it can take any where from 1 to 2 weeks to start feeling symptoms. The symptoms can be nasty. Headaches, diarrhea, nausea, lose of appetite, anemia, fever, chills and vomiting. There are medicines you can take to relieve the symptoms and to get the parasite of your system.

So why is it such a big deal? Mosquitoes are very common during wet season and if you aren’t protected by a mosquito net its easy to get. Everyone is outside starting at dusk to cook dinner and the light of the starts and moon are much brighter than a dark mud hut. Many children don’t sleep under a mosquito net, it’s reserved for the parents and they are easily infected. Once a child under 5 gets malaria it’s very hard to keep them healthy especially with the lack of clean water, poorly stocked clinics and transport. These are a few reasons why they are at such a high risk.

I had malaria while I was here and its no fun. I couldn’t keep anything down –including water- and the only way I could take my medicine was with a spoonful of peanut butter because I had no appetite. After taking the medicine for 3 days I felt much better but it was a week or 2 before I felt like I had my strength back. I was weak and tired and simple task became a chore. This reaction to malaria and I had been taking my prophylaxes (which doesn’t prevent malaria; it just suppresses the symptoms and the parasite in the body).

There is now a big push to “stomp out malaria”. The Ministry of Health issued mosquito nets to every household and Peace Corps worldwide is working on a “stomp out Malaria” campaign to raise awareness of the prevalence of the disease. I never thought that a mosquito could cause so many problems until I moved to Zambia and saw the affect. When I left my village, I gave away my two mosquito nets because I found out my neighbor brothers and sisters sleep on the floor without one. It’s not much, but it’s a start, and it starts the conversation.

How will you Stomp Out Malaria in 2012?
http://stompoutmalaria.org

1 comment:

  1. RaeKenya,

    Thank you for taking the time to educate your friends and family about this deadly disease. I've had malaria as well while working in Guinea, and it is absolutely wretched.

    But as you point out there is an international movement to eradicate malaria, with PMI, USAID and other US organizations (including Peace Corps) at the forefront. We've made great progress already and the more people know, the more progress we can make.

    Thank you for your service,
    Matt McLaughlin
    Program Manager
    Peace Corps
    Stomping Out Malaria in Africa

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