Case study: Population and the Environment, Malaria

Question 1

what are the symptoms of malaria?

Answer 1

• fever
• headache
• tiredness
• diarrhoea
• vomiting
• if not treated can cause kidney failure, seizures, comas, death

Question 2

who are most at risk of malaria?

Answer 2

• children as they have the lowest levels of immunity
• migrants and tourists
• rural populations at a greater risk than urban enviornments
  > more standing water/less drainage
  > less able to access healthcare

Question 3

how does malaria spread?

Answer 3

• parasite infected mosquitoes
• climate needs to be warm with standing water
  > tropical wet climate

Question 4

how many people in Uganda had malaria?

Answer 4

• 3.6 million cases in 2018
• 6 thousand death

Question 5

why does Uganda have such a high risk for malaria?

Answer 5

• on the equator, so warm tropical temperatures
  > no change in seasons
  > equal risk of malaria throughout the year as the breeding season is all year round
• has a large number of lakes
  > good breeding ground for mosquitoes
  > many populations live near the lakes
• not able to treat the environment so they must have other protections
  > pesticide treated bed net

Question 6

what has Uganda done to stop the spread of malaria?

Answer 6

• goal is to prevent malaria rather than eradicate it
  > early diagnosis
  > prompt treatment
  > 65% of children under 5 are on anti-malaria drugs
  >70-90% of households have a least one pesticide treated bed net
• opened a malarial drug factory in 2009
  > lowered cost of drugs
  > 5,000 local farms produce the crops used to produce the drugs which improves the economy
• control of the vector
  > use of insecticides inside homes or on walls where the mosquitoes rest