SADC Malaria Week 4 - 8 November 2013

With diseases such as HIV/Aids very much in the spotlight, malaria is often overlooked and many people do not realise that it can be a killer. In fact it has been estimated that the disease affects 219 million people every year
 and kills 660 000, most of whom are children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

At the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) we encourage our members to take control of their family's health. It is for this reason that we want to educate and inform our members about potentially life-threatening diseases such as malaria.

Although malaria is very dangerous, it is usually treatable when diagnosed timeously. For this reason it is important to be aware of the symptoms of the disease. GEMS would also like its members to be aware of the dangers when travelling or living in a malaria area and to know how to avoid getting infected so that the disease can be effectively combatted.

Who is at risk?
Malaria is transmitted to man by the anopheles-mosquito. Because nobody is immune from malaria, so you are always at risk when you enter a malaria area.

Pregnant women, children under the age of five and those with health conditions such as Aids, which compromises the immune system, are at great risk of developing severe complications from the disease and should avoid malaria areas. Interestingly, some people who live in malaria areas build up partial resistance to the disease and do not get it in its severe form.
If you are living in or travelling to an area in which malaria is present, failing to take preventative medication before, during and after travelling or taking it incorrectly can increase your risk of developing serious complications from the disease.

How to protect yourself
There are three main approaches to help you to stay protected against malaria if you are travelling to a malaria area.

Avoid being bitten
Some malaria areas and certain seasons are more risky than others. It is therefore critical that you are aware of the risks of the area that you are travelling to or are deployed in.

Personal protective measures against mosquito bites are the cornerstone of malaria prevention, no matter whether you are in a high- or a low-risk area. The Department of Health says there are a number of ways you can prevent yourself from being bitten by mosquitos carrying the disease. These include:

• Staying indoors between dusk and dawn
• Wearing long sleeves, long trousers and socks
• Applying insect repellent containing DEET to exposed skin
• Closing doors and windows and protecting them with screens
• Switching on fans or air conditioners
• Using a mosquito-proof bed net
• Spraying the inside of the house with an aerosol insecticide
• Using mosquito mats or coils during the night
• Treating clothes with an insecticide registered for this purpose

Prophylaxis medication
Your next line of defence is malaria prophylaxis medication, which, while not always offering total protection against developing the disease, can greatly assist you to avoid developing severe malaria and its life-threatening complications. In other words, prophylaxis medications are very effective in protecting us from the disease and can even be life-saving.

Be sure to take malaria prophylaxis measures only as advised by your doctor or travel clinic. It is essential that each person be individually evaluated in order to determine which medication is the most appropriate for him or her. All medication must be taken according to instructions and continued for the prescribed time after leaving the malaria area. 

Know the symptoms
The disease should be identified as early as possible so that it can be treated before it can cause life-threatening complications, which may come about rapidly. Bear the following in mind if you fall ill after returning from a visit to a malaria area:

• Malaria can develop as early as seven days after entering a malaria area and for up to six months after leaving such an area.
• Early symptoms may include fever, flu-like symptoms (chills, headache, body aches, joint pains, coughing etc.) and gastro-intestinal symptoms (nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pains). If you have any of these symptoms, have yourself tested for malaria immediately.
• Severe malaria or complications including cerebral malaria, severe anaemia, kidney failure etc. can develop within hours, so be sure to take immediate action.
• Please note that a negative malaria test does not necessarily exclude malaria.

Strict adherence and compliance to ALL three of the above lines of defence are needed to ensure maximum protection against malaria, cautions GEMS.  By doing all this you can go a long way to ensuring that you or one of your family members does not become another malaria statistic.

A treatable disease
Remember that, in most cases, malaria is treatable if diagnosed in time so if you do develop any signs of malaria after entering a malaria risk area - even if you think it is just flu - it is imperative to see your doctor immediately.

References
http://www.doh.gov.za/diseases.php?type=6
http://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Travel-health/Conditions-of-concern/Malaria-kills-even-in-South-Africa-20120721
http://www.malaria.org.za/
http://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Travel-health/Conditions-of-concern/Malaria-kills-even-in-South-Africa-20120721
http://www.who.int/campaigns/malaria-day/2013/en/