Malaria C.S Flashcards
Where is malaria found
Between 25 degrees north and south in wet tropical climates
Are most tropical countries lics or hics
Lics
Why are lics more susceptible to malaria
-cannot afford widespread vaccination programs
-many suffer from malnutrition leading to deficiency diseases such as Kwashiorkor
- lack of clean water and sanitation
- poor housing encourages vectors to breed
Give an example of a disease that spreads in contaminated water supplies due to a vector
Bilharziases - transferred through snails living in irrigation ditches
Countries with malaria have incomes __% less than those without it
33
Economic growth is __% less per person per year than those without malaria
1.3
What are direct costs of malaria
-individual medical costs
- cost of preventative measures I.e nets
-loss of earnings
-public health spending- 40% of expenditure for some lics
What are indirect costs of malaria
-cost Africa £165 billion in past 35 years
-no continuity in education
-reduced investment in tourism
-growing subsistence crops rather than cash crops
- underdeveloped markets
_% of worlds population is at risk
40
Kills _ million annually
1
Affects __ million
500
Solutions to malaria
-drug treatment
-controlling vectors
-killing mosquitoes at larval stage
Examples of drugs to treat of malaria
-Giving antimalarial drugs and vaccines to those living or travelling to areas of transmission such as…
- quinine
-chloroquine
-Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) - a programme that delivers antimalarial medicine to vulnerable populations during peak malaria transmission season whether or not the recipient is infected with malaria
Seasonal incidence of malaria depends on what physical factors
-Greatest incidence of the disease occurs during and soon after the season of highest rainfall
-Due to mosquitoes breeding in stagnant water supplies
-Malaria can be present throughout the year in equatorial regions where seasonal
variations are less marked - known as ‘malaria endemic’ areas
E.g. Central African belt of the Congo basin
Transmission rates of malaria fall where annual rainfall is less than ____mm
1000
What temp. do malaria parasites survive at
Malaria parasites can only survive in temperatures between 16°C-32°C
Does altitude affect the ability of mosquitos to breed
Yes altitude can affect the ability of mosquitoes to breed, so incidences of malaria are rare in highlands above 1,500m altitude
How do areas near coasts and forests affect mosquitos spawn rates
tend to have higher humidity with less seasonal temperature variation, so are more likely to be breeding grounds for transmission vectors
Socio economic factors that increase risk of malaria transmission
-Poverty is a malaria risk factor due to lack of investment in prevention programmes such as mosquito nets
-Strong correlation between poor quality of housing and increased rates of disease, as
ill-fitting doors and open windows allow mosquitoes enter houses freely
-Areas of high population and housing density allow fast transmission of disease vectors
-Poor diet and unstable food supply leads to malnourishment, particularly in children,
and reduced ability to fight infection
-Better education systems and higher levels of literacy lead to more knowledge about
malaria prevention
-Strong link between poor sanitation and malaria - open sewers attract mosquitoes
-Employment type can affect a person’s exposure to malaria. The following all
increase the risk of contracting the disease:
-Agricultural workers living and working near irrigation channels
-Migrant workers who move seasonally from highland areas to lowland coastal areas
-Workers in open mines near water sources
-Age is a risk factor - children under five and the elderly most at risk as less able to
fight the infection
How does malaria affect physical wellbeing
-May cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion and eventually death
-Anaemia and jaundice because of loss of red blood cells
How can controlling vectors stop the spread of malaria
-Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) given to vulnerable communities
-Indoor residual spraying (IRS) - the spraying of insecticide on surfaces within homes
to repel mosquitoes
-eliminate carrier mosquito using DDT insecticide, however has environmental side effects
-Kill adult female during 12 day risk period when parasites grow
-Cheap - only carried out every 12 months
Example of an effective drug in treating malaria
pyrethrine - insecticide treated bed nets
- effective/easy to use
-reduced child deaths by over 50%
-however $3 per net is to expensive for most countries so only 5% of sufferers can access it
Examples of killing mosquitos at larval stage
- draining/filling breeding sites
-screening/covering water tanks
-drying irrigation channels - Stocking water sites with fish that eat larvae + good food source i.e. grass carp, asia
Stats that show these strategies have helped reduce malaria transmission significantly
In 2000, 6 countries in malaria transmission zones had fewer than 100 cases. By 2020 that had increased to 26 countries
