Steem Cameroon Contest - World Malaria Day

Good evening steem Cameroon, happy World malaria day to you all. I believe at one time or the other, each of us might have fallen suck due to mosquito bite. Tho we treat malaria as a very common disease, but it's very deadly. The white men who brought civilisation to Africa many years ago fell sick due to the mosquito in Africa and some of them even died. Malaria kills millions of people globally and 25th April is set aside not to celebrate malaria, but to create awareness. I have been a victim at different times and today, I want to talk about what I know about this disease. Mosquito, as lanky as it is, is very dangerous and shouldn't be given breathing space. World malaria day is an annual observance held on April 25 all over the world to raise awareness of the global effort to control and ultimately eradicate malaria. The theme of this year's malaria day is: ACCELERATING THE FIGHT AGAINST MALARIA FOR EQUITABLE WORLD.

Malaria is a disease caused by a Plasmodium parasite and it is mostly in female mosquito, it is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquito. Malaria is one of the most common disease in Africa, though people underestimate its effect but it is very deadly. Globally in 2022, there was an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths in 85 countries. The habitats of most mosquitoes are forests, bushes around the house, hidden or dark places. Malaria is transferred when the infected mosquito bites a person. Malaria can affect children, pregnant women, both men and women, elderly and young. But the people who are mostly at risk are pregnant women and children under the ages of 5 because their immune system is lower. Malaria is life threatening.

Pixabay

My mascot is a female and her name is Ginny. Because she had been briefed about mosquito and malaria, and she had seen her playmates die due to malaria, she took to her heels when she saw mosquito hovering over her head. But the solution isn't running from mosquito, it's protecting oneself. So she is running to the pharmacy to get insecticides and mosquito net.

World malaria day is celebrated in my community through seminar and awareness campaign. The changes world malaria day has brought to my community are:

• People are now aware of malaria as not a little disease but a very deadly one that can kill.

• Pregnant women and even husbands are now serious about preventing malaria knowing that it leads to severe anaemia, maternal death, stillbirth, premature delivery and low weight babies.

• Instead of just sitting at home to take malaria drugs, people are now aware that a test is supposed to be done before taking malaria drugs.

• People in the rural areas are not left out, they are also made to know that malaria attacks everyone and it's a physical disease, not spiritual.

• The government is trying by sharing treated nets to the community people and community members are not left out, they try to prevent malaria by keeping their environment clean.

The active promoters of world malaria day are the:

• Doctors and nurses

• Non governmental organisations

• The government

• Community leaders

• Schools and churches

• Members of the community

• Health education campaigns in communities should be organised more often where people will be made aware of everything that has to do with malaria like symptoms and control of malaria because many people do not know how deadly malaria is.

• The government should also help by making malaria drugs or treatment free of charge.

• There should be severe punishment for people who keep untidy environment or throw waste in the gutter.

• The media, churches and schools should also be supportive by creating awareness and if possible, supplying net.

• The hospital should be accessible by both poor and Ruch at all times at an affordable rate because one of the things that makes people avoid the hospital is the bill.