World Malaria Report 2019

Malaria is a serious and sometimes life-threatening tropical disease caused by a parasite and spreads through mosquitoes. Malaria is a disease that can be fatal, yet the illness and death caused by it are usually preventable. Malaria makes people unwell, causing high fevers, shivering chills, and flu-like symptoms. Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae are the four malaria parasites that infect humans. The United States has about 1,700 malaria cases every year from immigrants and travellers returning from countries where Malaria is more common. Before you travel, check the CDC’s website to see whether your destination is a hotspot for Malaria. Now, let’s get into detail about Malaria and World Malaria Report 2019.

What is Malaria?

Malaria is a dangerous and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite spread by a mosquito species that feeds on humans. Malaria makes people unwell, causing high fevers, shivering chills, and flu-like symptoms. Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae are the four malaria parasites that infect humans. Furthermore, P. knowles, a kind of Malaria that normally infects macaques in Southeast Asia, can also infect people, resulting in “zoonotic” Malaria (Malaria passed from animal to human). P. falciparum is the form of Malaria that causes the most severe infections and, if not treated promptly, can result in death. Malaria is a disease that can be fatal, yet the illness and death caused by it are usually preventable. In the United States, about 2,000 cases of Malaria are identified each year. 

Travellers and immigrants returning from parts of the world where malaria transmission occurs, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, account for most cases in the United States. The World Health Organisation projects that 241 million clinical cases of Malaria will occur globally by the year 2020, with 627,000 people dying from the disease, the majority of whom will be children in Africa. Malaria is a major economic burden on many countries because it causes many illnesses and deaths. Because many malaria-affected countries are already impoverished, the disease perpetuates a vicious cycle of disease and poverty. Now, let’s focus on the causes of Malaria and Malaria treatments. 

Causes of Malaria

Malaria can be contracted if you are bitten by a mosquito carrying the Plasmodium parasite. Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium falciparum are the four malaria parasites that can infect humans. P. falciparum causes a more severe form of Malaria, and people who catch it have a greater chance of dying. An infected mother can spread the disease to her kid during birth. Congenital Malaria is the name given to this condition. Malaria is spread by mosquito bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Only Anopheles mosquitoes may spread Malaria, and they must have been infected with a blood meal from an infected human previously.

When a mosquito bites an infected individual, a minute amount of blood is drawn, containing tiny malaria parasites. When the mosquito takes its next blood meal, about a week later, these parasites mix with the mosquito’s saliva and are injected into the person who has been bitten. Because the malaria parasite is located in an infected person’s red blood cells, Malaria can also be transferred by blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use of blood-contaminated needles or syringes. Malaria can also be passed on from mother to child.

Malaria is spread through blood; hence it can also be spread through:

• an organ transplant

• a transfusion

• use of shared needles or syringes

World Malaria Report 2019

The World Malaria Report, published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) every year, provides in-depth information on the latest malaria control and elimination trends at the global, regional, and country levels. The study discusses the potential and difficulties of reducing and eliminating the disease and progress toward global goals. 

The World Malaria Report 2019 gives a thorough update on malaria data and trends worldwide. The report examines investments in malaria prevention, diagnosis, treatment, elimination, surveillance programs, and progress in all intervention areas. It also includes chapters on the effects of Malaria on maternal, baby, and child health and the “High Burden, High Impact” approach, and physical challenges to malaria control. 

The World Malaria Report 2019 report is based on data from more than 80 nations and areas where Malaria is still a problem. Data from national household surveys and databases held by other organisations supplement this information.

Conclusion

In this article, we got in-depth information about Malaria. Malaria is a dangerous and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite spread by a mosquito species that feed on humans. Malaria makes people unwell, causing high fevers, shivering chills, and flu-like symptoms. Malaria can be contracted if you are bitten by a mosquito carrying the Plasmodium parasite. Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium falciparum are the four types of malaria parasites that can infect humans. The World Malaria Report 2019 gives a thorough update on malaria data and trends worldwide. The report examines investments in malaria prevention, diagnosis, treatment, elimination, surveillance programs, and progress in all intervention areas.