LIVING WITH MALARIA: OBSTACLES

TO ELIMINATION

By Austen Dellinger

The Numbers: 500,000 years 3.3 billion 100 million 1 minute

Thesis Statement: Malaria will not be eliminated without

improvement of the distribution of nets and drugs, increased compliance with the proper use of these life-saving resources, enhanced infrastructure in countries crippled by malaria, and the dispelling of cultural and religious superstition.

Malaria Transmission and Symptoms: Malaria spreads as it is passed from mosquito

to person and back to mosquito. Symptoms include: chills and fever with

headaches and vomiting, respiratory distress and malaise, strokes, heart problems and brutal anemia.

Vaccination, Prevention, and Treatment: No vaccine Best method of

malaria prevention: insecticide treated bed nets.

Best cure: a full course of anti-malarial treatment.

Malaria in North America: Malaria was

prevalent in North America from the 1600s to the mid-1900s.

Now, only about 1500 cases of malaria are reported per year in the U.S.

Bulldozed swamps Paved roads and

sewage systems Window screens Availability and

affordability of treatment.

Malaria Elimination in the United States:

Consequences of Malaria: Absenteeism high rates of

unemployment 30 to 40 billion

dollars every year.

Misinformation and superstition regarding the disease

Deficient infrastructure

Low rates of compliance with prevention and treatment programs

Geography

Obstacles to Elimination:

Misinformation and Superstition: Malawi, Africa: malaria

is caused by mosquitoes… bad weather, hard work, jealousy, and hexes.

Leads such people away from medical centers and towards spiritual healers.

Some won’t give blood.

Infrastructure: Medical centers:

ScarceLacking in suppliesShort staffed

Underdeveloped roads and deficient transportation methods increase death toll

Distribution is a challenge

Compliance:

Nets Drugs

Not always used for intended purpose

Burdensome Hard to set up Very hot

Not completing the full course of treatment

Geography: Mosquitoes need warm

climates and still waters (puddles, lakes, standing water) to thrive.E.g. Pakistan

Environmental transformation

Community Service “Aim for the Net” Participants: Triangle Futbol Club ’00

Navy Raised $1,676 for “Against Malaria

Foundation,” and “Malaria No More” Everyone can make a difference

Bibliography Finkel, Michael. Bedlam in the Blood: Malaria. National Geographic.

Print. July, 1997: 32-67. Perry, Alex. Lifeblood. United Kingdom. C. Hurst & Company Ltd.

2011. Print. Shah, Sophia. The Fever. United States. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

2010. Print. Shore, Bill. The Imaginations of Unreasonable Men. United States.

PublicAffairs. 2010. Print. Webb Jr., James L.A. Humanity’s Burden. United States.

Cambridge University Press. 2009. Print. “Malaria.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for

Disease Control and

Bibliography (cont.) Prevention. Web. 3 October 2013. “Malaria.” New York Times. The New York Times. Web. 1 November 2013.

“Malaria.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization. 2013. Web.

7 October 2013. “Malaria: Disease.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 24 October 2013. “Malaria: Fact sheet No 94.” World Health Organization. World Health

Organization. Web. 19 October 2013.

Image Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_(epidemiology) http://www.naturalhighsafaris.com/browse/experience/snorkelling_for_tropical_fi

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