Malaria

In tropical and subtropical regions where there are consistently high temperatures and there is significant rainfall, mosquitoes can breed continuously throughout most of the year, thriving in the heat and moisture. A mosquito bite from a female anopheles mosquito carrying the protist Plasmodium after having bitten a person with malaria transmits the disease. Malaria parasites multiply in red blood cells causing headache, fever, shivering, arthralgia (joint pain), vomiting, anemia, retinal damage, dry cough and convulsions. It can cause cognitive impairments, especially in children. The malaria epidemic in Central America, sub-Saharan Africa and parts of tropical Asia is due to poverty and also prolongs poverty. Many people in these regions cannot afford $6.00 bed nets to keep mosquitoes out or insect repellant. Also, anti-malarial drugs are often unavailable in these areas. Being infected with malaria increases susceptibility to HIV and HIV infection increases malarial episodes. 1 million deaths from malaria each year are children under the age of 5! 58% of malaria cases occur in the poorest 20% of the world.