Question

Malaria is one of the major diseases harming humans. In a sense, this is a relatively simple case study. A person has the parasite, they get treatment, they recover. However, malaria is not a scourge upon humanity because we do not have a treatment; rather, malaria is deadly due to the difficulty in stopping it spread, the massive reservoir of disease, and the cost of treatment. The below questions relate more to malaria the disease rather than the case study itself though there are some excellent images showing infected red blood cells.

What does endemic mean? What regions of the earth are endemic with malaria?

How much do anti malaria drugs cost? Do these drugs retain their effectiveness forever?

What are two preventative measure to stop the spread of malaria?

Explain at least three non health related effects of malaria on individuals, families, and/or communities.

Answer 1

Ans) The word endemic actually means natural confined,native or widespread within a particular place or a specific population of people.

Malaria is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. It is also seen in regions of South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and the Americas.

The cost for Malarone oral tablet (250 mg-100 mg) is $182 for a supply of 24 tablets. For other antimalarial tablets it approximately ranges from 150-200$ only.

No these drugs do not retain their effectiveness forever eg) Doxycycline has a long-term malaria prophylaxis  for up to 6 months for while atovaquone-proguanil at least 20 weeks.

Two preventive measures to stop spread of malaria are-1)Bite prevention – by using insect repellent, covering arms and legs, using mosquito net and prevention of breeding by putting gambusia fish in water bodies or putting a small amount of kerosene

2)Chemoprophylaxis by taking malarial prevention tablets.

Malaria also affects the social and economical aspects.

1)Malaria areas are characterized by outbreaks and irregular epidemics among people with low immunity which furthur decreases their immunity.

2)Women and children under 5 years old are at greatest risk of the most severe clinical symptoms of malaria,particularly during pregnancy. This decreases health of both mother and child resulting in poorer health and more expenditure on health services in already prevelant poor areas.

3)Deprivation associated with poverty is also seen in malaria.The cost of lost labor from malaria illness might account for more than 75% of the total household cost of malaria.which inturn affects socioeconomic status itself.