The Fight Against Malaria

Malaria is a Vector-borne infectious disease of humans caused by a parasitic protozoan of the genus Plasmodium. Five species of Plasmodium can infect and be transmitted by humans. This includes: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. knowlesi. But the most prevalence cause of malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa and Cameroon in particular is P. falciparum followed by P. malariae. Commonly, the disease is transmitted by a bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito (Vector), which introduces the organisms from its saliva into a person's circulatory system. In the blood, the parasites travel to the liver to mature and reproduce. After about 8-25 days, it re-enters the circulatory system and infect the red blood cells causing their destruction which leads to symptoms that typically include headache, fever, shivering, joint pain, vomiting, haemolytic anaemia, jaundice, haemoglobin in the urine, retinal damage, and convulsions, which in severe cases can progress to coma or death.

Malaria is common in Sub-Saharan Africa and Cameroon in particular because of rainfall, consistent high temperatures and high humidity, along with stagnant waters in which mosquito larvae readily mature, providing them with the environment they need for continuous breeding. Malaria is typically diagnosed by the microscopic examination of blood using blood films, or with antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) as well as modern techniques that use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

The known methods used to prevent malaria include medications (prophylaxis), mosquito elimination (indoor residual sprays and drainage of stagnant water etc), the prevention of bites (use of Insecticide-treated mosquito nets and insect repellents), and community participation and health education strategies promoting awareness of malaria and the importance of control measures.

With all these known methods of prevention, the goal towards the eradication of malaria in Cameroon depends on principally three actors: The population in carrying out instructions, the medical sector in the aspect of pharmacotherapy/education and the Government in the sector of public health.

With reference to the population, they should be willing to completely carry out the instructions given to them by the government concerning the various methods of preventing malaria and also carry out perfect medication follow-ups as prescribed by the Clinicians for the treatment of those with malaria.

With reference to the Government, it should not limit it actions only on the different methods of sensitization about malaria, but should also go into the field to alleviate the conditions which are beyond the population such as bad drainage systems, poor sewage disposal and bad plannification of houses which provides poor lightening and ventilatory conditions in the communities which are all favourable grounds for the spread of mosquitoes.

With reference to the medical sector, the clinicians need to provide the patients with explicit information on the negative out comes of medications such as; resistance to drugs which leads to variation in the causative agent of malaria increasing the prevalence of the disease, if the follow-up is not appropriate . Also patients should be made award of the fact that the terminal stage of malaria is death if they don’t follow up the medications accurately and also on the consequences it will have on their love ones. And general education on malaria should also be given to the patients.

In conclusion, the fight against malaria in Cameroon and Africa in general is feasible if we all join hands and say ‘NO TO MALARIA’ by involving ourselves in the different sectors.