world malaria day

Tips And Tricks On How To Beat Malaria

I had looked up to search for inspiration from my ceiling and…was that a mosquito I just saw flying by? I start thinking that it is actually time to fumigate the house again. Which vendor was I going to use? I remember the last time an estate-wide fumigation was done where I live. Some very harsh, very aggressive chemical was used and most children in the estate ended up with rashes, itching and pain! And that ended it. To your tents, Oh Israel. Everyone decided to start sourcing their own fumigation vendors themselves.

And so, it is yet another World Malaria Day! Did you just hide a giggle? Well, if you did, you’re not alone. Most people can’t understand why there’s a need to ‘dedicate’ days to diseases…that’s just morbid, right? Well, maybe not! Let’s reel out some stats to make it real. Did you know that?

Federal Ministry Of Health in Nigeria estimates that malaria is responsible for

  • 60% of outpatient visits to hospitals.
  • 30% of deaths in childhood
  • 25% of deaths in children under 1 year
  • 11% of maternal deaths

Malaria is responsible for

  • Work and school absences
  • Low productivity
  • Poverty

[See 5 lesser known facts about malaria]

Have you ever thought about it in that sense…the fact that people actually get poor from constantly treating malaria?! It is a fact, especially in resource-poor countries like Nigeria. Human Resource Managers will easily attest to the fact that work absences and low productivity are mainly due to malaria. And so, we’ve got a problem.

In recent years a lot of efforts have been focused on ensuring that proper diagnosis and treatment of malaria is done. That’s for the medics. But how do you join the fight?

Let’s give you some tips:

I’m sure you know about insecticide-treated nets…and probably still don’t use them because of the heat. Well, if you have nets on your windows too and have a good fan (praying that you’ve got electricity to power it), it is not really so bad. Some people react to the chemicals in the insecticide and so for these ones you may want to air the net outside for a couple of days before you start use. To encourage your children to use them, you could work it into the décor of the room and make them look like nice, funky four poster beds!

Be sure to fumigate your house to rid them of mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies. Ensure the vendor tells you what chemicals they will use, how long you’ll have to stay away and whether it’s compatible with artwork etc. You should also cover up foodstuff and take off bedding etc. and then do a major clean up afterwards.

Did you know that the buckets of water used to store water in areas where pipe-borne water is not constant, can be a huge source of mosquitoes? Have you observed them rising from these buckets of water when you approach in the evening? If you have to store water, get covers and ensure you close them all the time.

Did you know that if your bathroom drain is blocked, apart from the fact that it’s unhygienic, the water there also acts as a comfortable home for mosquitoes? So, ensure that your drains are free-flowing with no stagnant water. Keep it smelling nice and fresh.

Did you know that your flower pots with lots of water also serve as a breeding place for mosquitoes? The water used on the flowers should be completely absorbed by the soil with none left on top. Another thing you should do is watch out for lazy helps who want to do a month’s watering in a day.

Did you know that the unwashed drains and gutters outside, bushy lawns, potholes and broken concrete slabs serve as lovely homes for mosquitoes? So, irrespective of the outcome of the suit as to whether environmental sanitation days are legal or not (for Lagosians) you all be sure to clean up your environment often.

Did you know that in pregnancy, you should receive, at least, 3 malaria preventive treatments before delivery? Did you know that malaria in pregnancy can lead to low birth weight and increases the risk of death in the baby within the first 4 weeks of life? Check with your doctor to make sure you’re taking the right measures to protect yourself from malaria.

[Other facts about malaria that you probably don’t know]

For someone who wasn’t sure what to write, I sure went to town! Have a great day, you all and be sure to join the fight to eliminate malaria from the world.

Contributed by DrKetch | visit her blog at chatwitdrketch | Facebook Page 

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