When someone is infected with malaria, the costs on treatment and medication—not to mention the loss of income during a quarantine period—can be devastating to the household, says Nih.gov. This makes malaria a large obstacle in the way of Africa’s economic development.
Some studies have found that families spend as much as 25 percent of their household income on malaria treatment. Studies reported on Unicef.org also suggest that a family affected by the illness harvests about 60 percent less of their crops than unaffected families.
Malaria costs Africans $12 billion a year, says Malaria.org. Studies suggest that if malaria had been eliminated in the 1960s, Africa’s GDP would have been 32 percent higher by 2000. That’s a loss of $100 billion.
The most shocking thing is that the $12 billion isn’t being “lost” on medical treatment or prevention of malaria. It represents the loss of income by those who could not work because of infection or death by malaria, according to Malaria.org.
Economic analysts on Malaria.org suggest that if African countries spend $1 billion a year on malaria prevention and treatment, they could see a GDP rise of anywhere from $3 billion to $12 billion per year.
Those infected with HIV/AIDS, as well as pregnant women and children under 5 are the most at risk of dying from malaria, says Nih.gov.
Contrary to popular belief, a mosquito is not born with malaria. Who.int reports that a mosquito contracts malaria by sucking the blood of an infected human. This is why it’s critical that those already infected protect themselves from more mosquito bites, as they could be contributing to the disease’s spread. Only certain species of mosquitoes of the anopheles genus—and only females —can transmit malaria, according to World Health Organization. Malaria is caused by a one-celled parasite called a plasmodium.
Malaria.org reports that malaria causes over 300 million illnesses each year (that’s first-time illnesses and re-infections) along with over 1 million deaths, of which 90 percent are in children under 5.
The methods of prevention includes sleeping under an insecticide-treated net, taking preventative medication (malaria prophylaxis), covering up one’s skin and staying indoors between 9 p.m. and 5 p.m. (mosquito’s most active hours) says CDC.gov.
CDC.gov reports that four different types of parasites can carry the disease: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. Plasmodium falciparum is the most deadly.
There are medications that treat malaria, however finding the right one can be complicated, says Infoplease.com. Since there are various parasites that can carry the disease, if the wrong medication is used, the parasite could be immune to treatment. Also, if the infected person has an accompanying disease (like HIV/AIDS) or is pregnant, treatment becomes more complex. One-time medication costs around $2, says Unicef.org, but in order for someone to be effectively cured, they must be retreated several times in a 6-to-12 month period—and many cannot afford that.
Unicef.org outlines several sustainable, affordable methods to prevent malaria including distributing insecticide-treated mosquito nets, lowering taxes on treatments and preventative tools, and spreading knowledge of prevention and treatment among communities.
