Malaria 101: Introduction to the Epidemic
 

It starts with one mosquito bite. Most of us know that an uncomfortable and itchy bump is the hallmark of a mosquito bite but in certain parts of the world there are far more lethal consequences.

One $10 bed net can protect a mother and her children from death for5 years- thinkAbout it.
 

The Disease

• Malaria is a disease that is transmitted by mosquitos. One bite is enough to leave behind enough parasites to invade the blood resulting in permanant damage.
• The malaria causing parasite,plasmodium falciparum,invades human red blood cells resulting in fever, nasea, headaches and if left untreated, coma and death.
• Malaria affects men, women and children around the world but 90% of them live in Africa. The two most affected groups are pregnant women and children.
• Malaria results in1 million deathsannually, mostly in African childrenunder the age of 5; that's one death every 30 seconds.
• Malaria is 100% treatable.

History:

• It's mentioned in ancient medical texts dating as far back as 2700 BCE; along with the artemisinin based therapies that are still in use today as the gold standard treatment for malaria infection. 

• In the 1940's theCenter for Disease Controlwas established to deal with what was considered the largest public health crisis of the time, malaria. Not only did they stop the disease in its tracks, they made malaria a thing of the past for Americans in a span of just 3 years.
  

The Solution:A Comprehensive Approach

These 4 components are the key to ending malaria related deaths (check out the success stories blog!)

• Insecticide-treated bed nets
• Spraying the inside walls of houses with insecticides
• Providing access to diagnosis and antimalarial drugs
• Providing antenatal care services for pregnant women
• The key to all of these four iseducation– empowering families and communities with the knowledge and resources to combat this disease.
  

Long lasting insecticide treated nets

Long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) work by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the majority of transmissions occur.Most mosquito nets can accommodate more than one person – a mother and an infant or a few siblings – for up to three to five years.

A net treated with special insecticides offers about twice the protection of an untreated net, and through its repellency, can even protect other people in the room outside the net. When enough people (about 70 percent) sleep under LLINs,entire communities, even houses without an LLIN, can be made safer.

*Photo Credit:©MHallahan/Sumitomo Chemical - Olyset® Net