Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted through mosquito bites that is most common in poor, tropical areas. It causes flu-like symptoms including fever and chills and can progress to severe complications involving the brain, organs, and anemia if left untreated. While malaria deaths mostly occur in sub-Saharan Africa, it is also present in many other tropical regions. Malaria poses huge socioeconomic burdens as it often leaves patients unable to work, resulting in losses to household income and national economies in affected countries. Prevention methods include mosquito bed nets, anti-malarial drugs, and reducing mosquito breeding sites.

1. Malaria
By: Rose Everett

2. What is Malaria?
Malaria is most common in poor, deprived areas. In many cases, malaria
itself is the cause of such poverty: malaria causes havoc on a
socioeconomic level as patients are often bedridden and incapable of
carrying out normal daily tasks, resulting in burdens on households and
health services, and ultimately huge losses to income in malaria-
endemic countries.
This suffering and loss of life are tragically unnecessary because malaria
is largely preventable, detectable, and treatable.
While 91 percent of malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, the
disease is present in nearly every tropical area where MSF carries out
field programs: from Ethiopia and Sierra Leone to Myanmar.

3. What does Malaria affect?
Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted from person to person by the
bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
These mosquitoes usually bite from around dusk to dawn.
Once transferred to the human body, the infection travels to the liver
where it multiplies and then enters the red blood cells.
Inside the red blood cells the parasites multiply rapidly until they burst,
releasing even more parasites into the blood stream.
There are four main species of the malaria parasite: Plasmodium
falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium vivax, and Plasmodium
ovale.

4. Symptoms of Malaria
Malaria begins as a flu-like illness, with symptoms first occurring nine to 14 days
after infection. Symptoms include fever (typical cycles of fever, shaking chills, and
drenching sweats may develop), joint pain, headaches, frequent vomiting,
convulsions, and coma.
If simple malaria is left untreated, it can become severe—around eight million
malaria cases progress to severe malaria annually. Death from malaria may be
due to brain damage (cerebral malaria), or damage to vital organs. The reduction
of red blood cells can cause anemia.

5. Fun Facts
Mosquito bed nets treated with insecticide
Education to help children and families protect themselves from
malaria
Anti-malarial drugs, IV medication, transfusions, and breathing
treatments
Resources to clean mosquito breeding grounds, such as ponds and
standing water bodies