Chances are excellent that you will never know anyone who has malaria. "It's hard to imagine a disease that will never affect you causing so much suffering," says Josh Ruxin, a health expert who works in the African country of Rwanda. "But for hundreds of millions of people, malaria is a way of life."
Africa is the continent hit hardest by malaria. At least 1 million people die of the disease every year. Most of them are kids under age 5.
Malaria is caused by a tiny parasite that lives in the gut and saliva of mosquitoes in nations where the disease flourishes. When an infected mosquito bites someone, the microscopic parasites slip into the person's bloodstream. Usually within 10 days, the person gets sick with flu-like symptoms. If left untreated, the parasites can move into the brain, which can make the disease turn deadly.
Fighting Back
What is especially frustrating about malaria, Ruxin told TFK, is that we
can prevent it. Fifty years ago, a mosquito-killing pesticide called DDT
was developed. In the 1960s, scientists found that DDT was harming other
wildlife, so the pesticide's use was restricted. But recently, some have
encouraged the careful use of small amounts of DDT to treat the walls
inside houses.
Bed nets are another weapon in the fight. The mosquitoes most likely to carry malaria are busiest during the night. That's why bed nets draped over sleeping areas can prevent malaria. Nets dipped in insecticide every six months kill mosquitoes that land on them. Nets treated with insecticide that lasts for five years are even better. "Our goal," says Ruxin, "is to get two bed nets for every household."
Malaria can be cured. Drugs called artemisinins are the most effective. But the best solution would be a vaccine to prevent malaria. Scientists are testing promising vaccines.
Meanwhile, it is vital to get preventive help to everyone who needs it. "It is an important bridge we can build across the ocean," says Ruxin.