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Malaria is a common disease which is caused by pesty little creatures called mosquitoes. It gets so annoying when all you want to do is have a good night rest but you are faced with it’s buzz in your ear and you say to yourself ‘…of all places, why my ear?”.
Well, as annoying as these creatures are, they can be life threatening; killing an individual slowly as they transmit plasmodium parasite(s) into the body causing malaria. According to the world health organization (WHO), in 2020, there were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria worldwide and the estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 627 000 in 2020. Hence, it is crucial that this disease be taken seriously.
From research, there are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, which are:
-Plasmodium falciparum (or P. falciparum)
-Plasmodium malariae (or P. malariae)
-Plasmodium vivax (or P. vivax)
-Plasmodium ovale (or P. ovale)
-Plasmodium knowlesi (or P. knowlesi)
and two of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.
Join Timilehin and I in today’s health talk as we debunk some myths on malaria: causes, symptoms, prevention and cure.
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