Facts about Malaria

Malaria is a blood disease, caused by a parasite carried from person to person by certain types of mosquito. With just one bite, a mosquito can transmit the deadly parasite, which enters the liver and starts multiplying. It then begins to infect red blood cells, essential for the uptake of oxygen. After the cells are infected, they burst, infecting surrounding cells. Victims experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache and vomiting.

Without treatment, this process can disrupt the blood supply to vital organs like the brain, resulting in death in around xx% of cases. If the victim survives, they may suffer permanent brain damage and be more susceptible to malaria in future.

[Check stats mentioned here.]

Children and pregnant mothers are those most vulnerable to the disease.

How do we stop it?

Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease. We can all be part of the solution. We need to:

  • blanket Africa in bed nets
  • make good medicines widely available
  • bug-spray likely breeding areas
  • educate potential victims about the dangers, symptoms and treatment
  • work towards a vaccine
Prevent malaria
Nets: stop mosquito bites

A simple bed net provides a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, which is when most bites occur.

New technology means these nets are treated with long-lasting insecticide, which can repel mosquitoes within five 5 metres. This means it can even protect those without a net, if they sleep nearby. When enough people sleep under a treated bed net (around 70%), entire communities, even houses without bed nets, can be made safer.

Most nets can accommodate more than one person: a mother and baby, or a number of brothers and sisters.

All donations to Malaria No More will be spent on bed nets: help cover a child now. [donate]

Educate: knowledge is power

As bed nets are supplied, our partner organisations will teach people to use them consistently and properly.

Our most important message? Bed nets work. While other mosquitoes may bite during the day, the types that carry malaria do so at night. Bed nets prevent malaria.

Education will also help people to spot the symptoms and get help to treat malaria with the right medicines.

Spraying: kills mosquitoes

While bed nets are the first line of defence, sometimes it can be a good idea to spray a particular area with insecticide. The walls of a house can be treated, to kill mosquitoes as they settle. Or particularly good breeding sites for mosquitoes can be targeted.

Vaccine: the best possible defence

Scientists around the world are working on this important research. However, the malaria parasites have proven to be remarkably adaptable. They change their characteristics as antibodies are developed, making it hard to find a vaccine.

Most experts agree that the world is at least a decade away from any sort of effective vaccine. We believe it is s important to keep working on the vaccine but in the meantime, we need to concentrate on providing solutions for prevention and treatment that exist today.

Treat malaria
Medicines: stop malaria parasite spreading

The best medicines for treating malaria contain an active ingredient (artemisinin) from a plant known as Sweet Wormwood. The medicines are called ‘artemisinin-based combination therapies’ or ACTs. Getting the ingredient from the plant can be an expensive process, so several organisations [link to MMV/GF] are looking to develop cheaper versions of the medicines. We will support them in their work.

Efforts also need to be taken to combat counterfeit medicines which do not contain the vital ingredients that tackle malaria.

Other medicines are required for pregnant women, which protect against death and anaemia and can help prevent newborns deaths too.

Conclusion

Malaria No More UK will raise money and support for a comprehensive solution of prevention and treatment, to beat malaria by 2015.

All your donations will be spent on bed netsbed nets and other means to protect and treat people in countries where malaria is prevalent. [donate]