All together against malaria

Malaria, one of the world’s deadliest diseases, kills about 3 000 people on average every day, while the number of people newly affected by the diseases is estimated at 219 million worldwide.

In general, the symptoms of the disease manifest themselves about 10 to 15 days following the bite of an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms include headache, fatigue, fever, nausea… Often, the symptoms are quite moderate; so it’s difficult to attribute them to malaria. However, in the absence of treatment, malaria may be lethal in a number of cases.

Who are the persons of risk of being affected? The most at risk are the newborns, children of less than 5 years of age, pregnant women, people infected by VIH or suffering from AIDS, as well as travelers.

A great number of measures have been implemented to eradicate the disease worldwide. Insecticide-resistant mosquito nets have been widely distributed. Recently, US researchers have carried out a study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ivermectine. This injectable drug is assumed to render the blood of its victim lethal for mosquitos. In their conclusion, the researchers suggested that the drug ivermectine, when combined with other anti-malaria medication, could be able to stop the disease at a worldwide level.