Malaria is a disease caused by a tiny parasite.
Malaria is transmitted through mosquito bites.
Malaria is transmitted from a sick person to a well person by mosquito.
Malaria is preventable and treatable; but if a person with malaria does not receive appropriate treatment it can lead to severe illness and death.
Malaria is not transmitted by eating or drinking (e.g. oranges, mangoes, and other sweet foods, palm oil, palm wine and beer – none of these food stuffs can give you malaria).
Malaria is not caused by witchcraft or demons.
USE A LONG LASTING INSECTICIDE TREATED NET EVERY NIGHT, ALL YEAR LONG.
The net prevents mosquitoes biting anyone. Everyone should sleep under a Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Net (LITN) every night. If there are not enough nets for every household member, priority should be given to pregnant women, children under five and people living with HIV/AIDS.
YOUR COMMUNITY CAN STOP THE TRANSMISSION OF MALARIA
When you sleep under a LLIN every night all year long, this will help stop thetransmission of malaria
When 80% of your community sleep under an LLIN, the transmission of malaria will be disrupted in your community
A good neighbour sleeps under an LLIN every night all year long as a way of protecting the community from this dang
Keep the house and the compound clean and tidy
Clear the gutters and fill-in all places where water collects or stands
Bury tires, empty cups and bottles and containers that can collect water
Dispose rubbish properly
Window netting
Wearing long clothes
Indoor spraying
Prophylactic drugs
Skin preparations (like DEET sprays and citronella based products)
Malaria is particularly life-threatening and dangerous to pregnant women and their babies.
Malaria is harmful to pregnant women and their babies as the malaria parasite destroys the blood cells and makes women anaemic.
Anaemia in the mother and malaria parasites in the placenta can lead to women giving birth to babies early (pre mature) or born very small or die while still in the womb.
Babies who are born too early or are very small at birth as less likely to survive and be healthy.
By sleeping under an insecticide treated net every night.
By taking Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) IPT is another way to prevent malaria in pregnant women and protect them and their unborn babies.
It is given free to pregnant women at government health facilities. It is 3 tablets, which should be swallowed under the supervision of a health worker. It should be taken at least twice during pregnancy from the 2nd trimester with one-month interval.
Pregnant women should attend antenatal check-ups to receive IPT and a free
treated net.
FEVER/high temperature
General body weakness
Feeling unwell
Nausea or vomiting
Inability to eat
Joint pain
Cold/chills
Diarrhoea
Head ache and Backache
Sweating
Confusion
Persistent crying or convulsions in children
To be tested for malaria or other illness. The only way to know for sure if you have malaria is to be tested.
If you test positively, then you can receive the proper treatment for malaria.
To get proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment to avoid complications that might lead to serious condition or even death.
People who are sick with malaria should get a course of malaria treatment drugs from a health worker or community based provider.
The best medicine is ACT (Artemisinin based Combination Therapy)
ACT is a combination therapy and usually taken over 3 days
This will ensure complete cure, on-going protection and will prevent the drug from becoming less effective to malaria infection (development of drug resistance).
Kills the parasite in the sick person and therefore stops transmission to healthy people.
Treatment is important for saving the life of an infected person.
Drink lots of treated water to keep hydrated.
Eat a balanced diet to include fruits, vegetables, meat or fish, rice etc.
Ill health due to malaria results in people being unable to carry out their normal activities such as taking care of the home and family, working to earn a living or going to school which means the community and Nigeria does not develop.
Households in Africa lose from 25 to 28 per cent of income to malaria illness, according to estimates and the average African household spending on malaria treatment has been estimated at over 10 per cent of income Children fall behind in their school learning when they get malaria.
Large numbers of people (especially children under five) die from malaria each year, but IT CAN BE PREVENTED.
Businesses lose money because of employee absenteeism and increased health costs.
Overall the Nigeria economy and its development suffers because of the high incidence of malaria.