World Malaria Day has been established by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2007 and is celebrated every 25 April. More than 200 million people contract malaria every year. The parasite that causes malaria is Plasmodium. Humans can get malaria through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito that carries this parasite.
Did you know that every April 25 is celebrated as World Malaria Day?
Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat. P. falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite and the most prevalent on the African continent. P. vivax is the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that continues to have a devastating impact on the health and livelihood of people around the world. In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million new cases of malaria and 627.000 malaria-related deaths in 85 countries.
World Malaria Day is observed annually on 25 April, to raise awareness of the global effort to control and eradicate malaria.
In an effort to prevent malaria, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia introduced the slogan "ABC", which means:
- A (Amati) = Watch out and pay attention to: risk factors, modes of transmission, methods of prevention, incubation period, signs and symptoms.
- B (Biasakan) = Avoiding mosquito bites while in endemic areas by using mosquito nets when sleeping, not going out at night and if you have to go out, wear long and bright clothes, also use mosquito repellent lotion.
- C (Cek Darah) = Check blood immediately to health workers if there are symptoms of fever while there up to 1 month after returning from endemic areas and convey travel history.
Malaria does not appear immediately when a person is bitten by a parasite-carrying mosquito. If a person's immune system is very good, the chances of getting infected with malaria are smaller. Meanwhile, for people with poor immunity, symptoms of malaria usually appear 10-15 days after a mosquito bite.
Early symptoms of malaria usually resemble the flu, fever, and headache. These symptoms are very common in other minor illnesses, making it difficult to identify as malaria. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are also common. If left untreated, malaria can also cause anemia and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) due to a lack of red blood.
If not treated within 24 hours, these symptoms can quickly turn into severe pain (especially for the type of Plasmodium falciparum). Parasitic infection that causes malaria that is not treated quickly can cause complications such as kidney failure, seizures, mental disorders, unconsciousness (coma), and often lead to death.
Prevention of malaria transmission can be done by implementing Clean and Healthy Behavior (PHBS), such as cleaning the environment and places that have the potential to become mosquito nests, not hanging clothes, sleeping with mosquito nets, wearing long sleeves, installing gauze on ventilation, and so on.
Reference:
- WHO. World Malaria Day
- Kementerian Kesehatan RI. (2017). “ABC” Dalam Pencegahan Malaria
- Britannica. (2020). World Malaria Day
