global issues Flashcards
malaria
what is the distribution on malaria?
Malaria is distributed between the tropics of cancer and Capricorn, running along the equator, mainly in Developing countries. Including Central America, Brazil, Colombia, Central Africa – south
of the Sahara and north of South Africa, - India, Pakistan and South East Asia.
what are the physical factors for the cause of malaria?
Malaria occurs where the anopheles mosquito lives.
They live in warm and hot areas, where temperatures are above 16oC.
They need still water surfaces as breeding areas, but these areas do not need to be large. As a result, all warm, rainy areas with still or slowly-moving water are suitable environments for the anopheles mosquitoes.
Vegetation nearby to provide shade for the mosquito to hide during the day and digest the blood meal from the night before.
what are the human factors for the cause of malaria?
Where people have built dams and made irrigation channels
People migrate much more now and this makes it easier for the disease to spread.
Poor Sanitation and poor housing.
what are the symptoms of malaria?
After a few days, the infected person suffers headaches and stomach pains, followed by fevers of high temperature and shivering fits. The fevers can occur many times, frequently resulting in the death of the victim. These symptoms can result in kidney failure. Malaria is a particularly big killer of children, who have not had time to build up any immunity from the disease. If Malaria does not kill the victim, it can cause kidney failure. It leaves the person weak, anaemic (lacking iron) and prone to other diseases.
what are the effects of malaria on the population and country?
The wealth of a person and country suffering from Malaria can be severely affected. If a person is unable to work they will not be paid and will find it difficult to look after themselves and family leading to famine. If farms and factories have fewer workers the amount they produce will fall and they will have less to sell. The less money a country has the less it has to invest in schools, hospitals etc. A poor
country will find it even harder to develop.
Tourists will not be attracted to the area due to the risk of catching malaria. Industry will also not be attracted to the area as there will be low productivity and profits.
what are strategies to control malaria?
– Drain all breading areas.
– The use of insecticides such as DDT
– Releasing water from dams to drown larvae
– Using mustard seeds onto stagnant surfaces to drag the larvae down and suffocate larvae.
– Introduce small fish like muddy loach into padi fields to eat larvae
– Plant eucalyptus trees to soak up excess water.
– Use nets to prevent people from bites during the night.
– Drugs to control the disease like Quinine, cholorquin or the new drug funded by the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
what is the effectiveness of the strategies to control malaria?
Drugs are too expensive and the parasite has become resistant to them.
Insecticides are also expensive and pollute the environment.
Draining all breeding areas is impractical.
Bed nets are cheap and quite effective.
The new treatments have been developed which seem to be more effective such as artemesinin/ACT.
