Even if the problem of Malaria in Nigeria and the whole Africa is continuously declining, it does not mean that malaria has been defeated. Malaria continually evolves and brings with it new challenges for Africa. Will Africa ever become completely victorious in the fight against it? Continue reading to find out!
Malaria in Africa
Malaria still remains a huge global problem today. More than 90% of fatalities of malaria occur in Africa. Malaria still threatens more than 3.2 billion people. Nigeria is one of the biggest countries in Africa and is solely responsible for 25% of malaria cases. Nigerian politicians, stakeholders, and international support groups have created the National Strategic Malaria Plan 2020. The main idea of this plan is to free Nigeria from Malaria by 2020.
According to international experts, the major bottleneck of achieving this goal is the healthcare system in Nigeria. Regardless, it is still possible to complete the main objective of the National Strategic Malaria Plan 2020.
According to the WHO (World Health Organization) around 3.2 billion people are at risk to be infected by Malaria. Statistics show that Malaria flourishes in developing countries with high poverty and unemployment rate.
Therefore, Nigeria has a special place in the Global Malaria Action Plan and Roll Back Malaria. These plans are supported by WHO and UNICEF. These plans have already reduced the Malaria mortality rate by 75%.
Causes of Malaria
READ ALSO: Functions of WHO organizations
According to the WHO data, the main carriers of Malaria in Africa remains the Anopheles mosquitoes. This type of mosquito has over 400 different species, and 30 of them are every dangerous. Africa serves as a home for most of these mosquitoes. Also, Africa offers an ideal climate for a long life span of mosquitoes. It’s one of the reasons why the continent is home to 90% of the world’s malaria cases.
These tiny mosquitoes are only one of the causes of malaria throughout Africa. Malaria mostly affects people in regions with poor health and economic situation. Unfortunately, most African countries have been in a situation of constant conflict since gaining independence. This has led to an unstable political situation in a lot of countries on the continent.
Nigeria is not an exception, the constant problems with Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers, and New Biafra Rise may play a significant role in malaria transmission. Therefore, the epidemiology of malaria in Nigeria and the whole of Africa in general is not just a health problem but also a socio-economic issue.
History of Malaria in Nigeria
The first evidence of Malaria was found in mosquitoes of the Palaeogene period. This malaria parasite was different according to the animals infested. The most dangerous species of malaria evolved in primates like chimpanzees and gorillas. The first impact on human civilization started approximately 10,000 years ago. Nigeria recognized the problem of Malaria in the 19th century.
Malaria had become a problem for Nigerians since the colonization period. The first registered cases of Malaria in Nigeria were recorded in the 19th century. Kayode A. Adepoju (Obafemi Awolowo University) reported that for the period from 1955-1989, the number of registered malaria cases did not exceed 500, 000. It may be connected with the lack of mobility between the states in Nigeria at the time.
Malaria cases significantly increased at the beginning of the second millennia. However, thanks to a democratic government, Nigerians were able to get international help from the WHO and other organizations. Therefore, it`s quite possible that Nigeria will be able to eliminate the Malaria issue by 2020.
Prevalence of Malaria in Nigeria
According to WHO data, Nigeria can be divided into six geopolitical zones and 36 states. All these zones are governed by local authorities, which welcome help from international organizations. Nevertheless, Nigeria has a lot of problems which sabotage Malaria treatment progress:
- Almost no access to healthcare centers in rural regions;
- Brain drain of qualified medical personnel;
- Poor healthcare system;
- Unequipped healthcare facilities;
- Lack of pills against Malaria in rural areas;
- Insufficient budget aimed at fighting Malaria.
Malaria in Nigeria still has a firm ground. However, it’s still possible to eliminate the problem entirely. The National Strategic Malaria Plan 2020 includes recommendations for people and states to prevent and treat Malaria in their respective regions.
Conclusion
Malaria has been a problem for Africa and Nigeria for years. According to the WHO, Nigeria still suffers the most from this disease as about 25% of African cases of Malaria can be found in this country. Nevertheless, International Health Organizations and the Federal Government of Nigeria created the National Strategic Malaria Plan 2020. This plan is also related to the WHO health programmes in Africa.
The WHO statistics show that Malaria cases are declining and it’s quite possible that Malaria will be gone from Nigeria completely someday if all actions against it are carried out adequately.
READ ALSO: Treatment of malaria in first trimester of pregnancy
Source: Zenithblog.com
0naze
No comments:
Post a Comment