April twenty-five every year, the global community highlights malaria. Malaria is a serious parasitic disease spread to humans by a certain type of mosquito, Anopheles and remains a leading cause of preventable illness and death in the world.
On April twenty-five 2001 African nations observed the African malaria day for the first time drawing attention to malaria’s disproportionate impact on the continent and to support regional efforts to prevent it. The day was marked with mobilization of funds for control efforts within Africa and to increase awareness about malaria prevention and treatment.
The World Health Assembly approves the idea to rename Africa Malaria Day to World Malaria Day in 2007 in recognition of the disease’s global impact. The change represented a major advancement in the understanding and treatment of malaria as a worldwide health concern.
Since then, annual themes have been adopted by World Malaria Day to draw attention to particular facets of battle against malaria. The themes of these campaigns have varied over the years starting from “Malaria – Time for Change” in 2008 and ending with “Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate and implement” in 2024. The theme for this year is “Zero Malaria starts with me”.
World Malaria Day has developed into a platform for international advocacy, resource mobilization and progress assessment over the years. It has fostered with collaborations between governments, health organizations, Non Governmental Organizations, researchers and communities resulting in the increased funding for malaria control programs, increased availability of drugs and bed nets for preventive measures, developments of new diagnostic and treatment methods, significant decline in malaria fatalities and cases especially in Africa.
This year’ s theme. underscores the need for each person to make it a point of duty to be sleeping under the insecticide treated mosquito bed nets. Windows and doors of houses should be covered with nets.
There should be judicious use of Insecticides, both Indoors and Outdoors.
Again, and very importantly is clearing of the environment of puddles of stagnant water. Containers used for water storage around the household should be covered. The puddles and collections of stagnant water are the main breeding grounds for mosquitoes, so should not be allowed to exist in the environment.
It is important to stress that diagnose and treatment with the current and effective malaria drugs should be prompt.
PAG UDOKA
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