Information and news about disease category

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Exclusive Breastfeeding Promotes Infant Health

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Children ages 12 to 23 months receive an estimated 30-40% of total energy from breast milk. This milk serves as a source of energy and essential fatty acids for them and the fat content appears critical for utilizing pro-vitamin A carotenoids, which exist predominantly in plant-based diets. Moreover, these nutrients offer necessary protection against diseases and help children recovery from infections.

Breastfed children face a significantly reduced risk of chronic illness. The contribution of breast milk to overall nutritional status protects children from developing noncommunicable diseases as adults. Breast milk also improves cognitive development. This benefit could serve to assist with the second Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal primary education. Education coupled with decline of disease increases productivity in developing countries subsequently offering greater food security and the reduction in poverty.

For young girls, greater learning potential offers financial independence. Mothers, in addition to their daughters, benefit from exclusive breastfeeding as well. Breastfeeding naturally delays fertility and as a result, this increases the period between births in populations without contraception. At this time, developing nations account for 99% of global maternal deaths.

A delay in childbirth protects the lives of many women who marry young and give birth frequently. Those who give birth before the age of fifteen risk dying during childbirth at five times the rate of those in their twenties. The World Health Organization offers a number of guidelines to improve breastfeeding and complimentary feeding practices. The annual loss in GDP to vitamin and mineral deficiencies far exceeds the cost of these interventions. For instance, Peru loses $637 million a year to malnutrition. Yet increasing its micronutrient interventions costs less than $16 million annually. To promote the timeline of exclusive breastfeeding, the organization could implement these low-cost interventions:

  • Advocate for natural breastfeeding, as opposed to the use of water-based substitutes
  • Adopt and enforce maternity leave policies
  • Provide training on infant and young child feeding to health care professionals
  • Implement a cash-conditional program for mothers to breastfeed and regularly visit clinics
  • Develop and support work sit lactation programs

Exclusive breastfeeding within the first six months nourishes infants and acts as a safeguard against the spread of diseases. However, globally, less than 40% of infants benefit from exclusive breastfeeding. Affordable and direct solutions to this issue exist, holding the potential to drive this rate to 100%worldwide.

– Ellery Spahr

 

Photo: She Rights Sources: WHO, World Bank

 

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The War Against Malaria Wages On

malaria
A recent study published by the Lancet Medical Journal is exposing some interesting finds regarding malaria prevalence in Africa. The study, aimed at examining the impact of control initiatives on vulnerable populations, is a collaboration between researchers from Oxford University, the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The researchers analyzed data from 26,746 community-based surveys of parasite prevalence since 1980. The data gathered came from 44 African countries where the disease remains endemic.

The study has yielded a mixed bag of results. On a positive note, 40 countries have seen reduction in malaria prevalence among children between 2000 and 2010; the number of people living in high transmission areas has dropped by 16%. A number of countries, including Cape Verde, Eritrea, South Africa and Ethiopia, have experienced transmission rates low enough to indicate possible elimination of the disease.

However, despite this positive feedback, researchers say that there is cause for concern.

The study also indicated that the number of people living in areas of moderate to high-risk of infection has increased by 57%, from 178.6 million to 280.1 million. Researchers have attributed part of this increase to rapid population growth, which could be dampening malaria control efforts. Included among the countries with the highest malaria prevalence figures are Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Out of those living in areas of moderate to high-risk of infection, 87.1% live in just 10 countries. Unfortunately, three of these countries are not included in the WHO Malaria Situation Room, an initiative that provides support to the ten African countries with the highest malaria burden.

These statistics prove that despite some success, more can be done.

In recent years, international aid organizations have ramped up efforts to control malaria. For instance, in 2000, investment in worldwide malaria control stood just short of $100 million. In 2013, this investment had almost reached the $3 billion mark. With this amount of money, the world should be seeing nothing short of progress.

Commenting on the study, Dr. Abdisalan Mohamed Noor of the Kenya Medical Research Institute-Welcome Trust Research Program notes, “In a period of global economic recession, these results emphasize the need for continued support for malaria control, not only to sustain the gains that have been made, but also to accelerate the reduction in transmission intensity where it still remains high.” Professor Brian Greenwood of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine agrees, noting that the reductions in malaria transmission “have only been modest.”

Impeding progress in malaria control efforts include the growing resistance to pesticides among mosquitoes, as well as the drug resistance occurring among the population.

Future efforts need to focus on supporting the development of new methods of control, as well as expanding access to drugs, insecticides and vaccines.

– Mollie O’Brien

Sources: Medical News Today, BBC, The Verge
Photo: NPR

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5 Facts About Hunger in Rwanda

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The Republic of Rwanda is a small sovereign state in the Eastern part of Central Africa. Rwanda ranked at 166 of 187 countries on the UNDP Human Development Index in 2011. Rwanda also has the highest population density in the region with 416 people per square kilometer.

Low income, limited natural resources, and food and water insecurity pose a problem for citizens in Rwanda every day. In the years following the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, international rebuilding efforts have been on the ground trying to make sustainable changes to alleviate some of the hunger and water issues.

Here are five facts that explain the state of hunger in Rwanda and how it may change in the coming years:

  1. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide marked the end of the ceasefire signed the year before that stopped the fighting of the Rwandan Civil War. The war began between two ethnic groups the Hutu and Tutsi. The Genocide began when the plane carrying the Hutu supported president Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down and he, along with several other members of the government, were killed. The genocide lasted 100 days and an estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 people were killed. The fallout from the Rwandan Genocide is the cause for much of the instability in the region that lasts today.
  2. Secondary school attendance in Rwanda is one of the lowest in the world and the literacy rate is 55%.
  3. Approximately 65% of the population has access to safe, clean drinking water
  4. 45% of children under 5 years of age are malnourished.
  5. Over 67,000 refugees from neighboring countries currently reside in Rwanda.

Even though there is a lot of strain on the country today, organizations have been working with the government to address one of Rwanda’s major problems: food insecurity. Agriculture was the country’s main sector before the genocide, and since then, major efforts have been made to make it profitable one more.

Updating the agricultural practices is what the World Food Programme credits with directly reducing the number of food insecure people.

The country hopes that with the reliance on agricultural programs it will improve its GDP to US$900 by the year 2020, up US$380 from its current GDP. Rwanda was also the first country to sign the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), meaning that addressing malnutrition and food insecurity is one of the government’s main priorities.

Even though Rwanda still has a long way to go, the government has been taking steps in the right direction that could provide a template for other countries in the region to follow.

– Colleen Eckvahl

Sources: World Food Programme, World Vision
Photo: Rising Continent

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4 Issues Contributing to Malnutrition in the DRC

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Kinshasa, DR Congo

The second largest country in Africa and is located in the middle of the continent. Since the 1990’s the country has been in a state of political unrest and civil war which is the cause of many of the other problems in the region, such as disease, food insecurity, human rights violations, and violence against women.

Here are four issues that contribute to nearly 6.3 million people remaining food insecure and over half of the children under the age of 5 classified as malnourished in the DR Congo:

  1. Political instability between the government and several militia and rebel groups. Peace talks have been ongoing since 2009 with little progress. Since 1998, 5.4 million people have been killed. Less than 10% were killed during the fighting, instead the majority have died from diseases and malnutrition.
  2. 2.7 million people are internally displaced within the DRC as a result of the civil war. 1.6 million are in the North and South Kivu region, where much of the heavy militia activity takes place. There are an additional 116,000 refugees from neighboring countries currently living in the DRC. The large number of displaced people and perpetual fighting in the country has led to a high rate of abuse and sexual assault of women and children. It is estimated that 400,000 women between 15 and 49 were raped between 2006 and 2007. This is the equivalent of 48 women being assaulted every hour.
  3. 3.71% of the population lives below the poverty line, meaning they live on less than two dollars per day.
  4. Rampant infectious diseases are common across the country such as Malaria, Dengue Fever, Typhoid Fever, and HIV/AIDS. The ministry of health said that Malaria was their number one disease concern and in 2011 alone there were 4,561,981 reported cases.

– Colleen Eckvahl 

Sources: The International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict , WFP, WHO
Photo: This is Africa

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Rise of Cancer in the Developing World

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While many people know cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, few realize cancer has become a significant burden on the developing world. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports more than 60 percent of new cancer cases occur in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America, concluding that cancer in the developing world accounts for more than 70 percent of all cancer deaths.

In 2012, there were 14.1 new cases of cancer, compared with 12.7 million new cases in 2008. Part of the reason for this is globally, the population is aging. Developing nations are seeing an increase in many cancers because people living longer and having a change in lifestyle. Many people in developing countries are adopting the lifestyles of those in industrialized nations and are now facing new risk factors such as poor diet, obesity and smoking. This is causing an increase in common cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer.

Breast cancer was the most common cause of death in women in 2012. Treatments and testing for breast cancer that are available in industrialized countries have not yet reached the developing world. Cancers caused by infections such as cervical cancer (often caused by the Human Papilloma Virus [HPV]) also cause more deaths in the developing world because there are fewer screening and treatment programs for the disease.

As a result of gains by global health professionals, such as the reduction in infectious disease and the decrease in the child mortality rate, many more people in developing countries live to older ages. Unfortunately, work in chronic disease prevention and intervention needs to catch up. Developing countries do not have the resources to screen, prevent and treat chronic diseases such as cancer.

Global health has historically been focused on communicable (or infectious) diseases. Julio Frenk, Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, says there needs to be a switch in thinking that allows for a more comprehensive view of global health. First, because communicable and non-communicable infections are not as separate as once thought. The WHO estimates that one fifth of cancers are caused by communicable infections such as HIV, HPV, hepatitis B virus, and Helicobacter pylori. In addition, infections, hunger and maternal deaths are no longer the only problems of the poor. The world’s poor people are increasingly prone to non-communicable diseases and injury.

There is a misconception that because there are “bigger fish to fry,” such as infectious diseases and poverty, people should not worry about cancer. However, in many middle-income countries, cancer is now one of the leading causes of death and yet it still receives little attention. There is also the issue of having access to screening be inequitable. In middle-income countries, only the most affluent people have access to cancer screening.

Fortunately, information is beginning to be spread about the need to add cancer to the global public health agenda. Bill and Melinda Gates gave a $50 million grant to create the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention.

– Elizabeth Brown

Sources: WHO, CBC, HSPH
Photo: UN Special

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Female Genital Mutilation and Poverty

Female Genital Mutilation
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) ruins countless lives every day. FGM is a humiliating torturous cutting of the female genitalia carried out by various groups of the community, including health practitioners, elderly people and female relatives. According to the World Health Organization (WHO,) four types of FGM procedures exist:

Clitoridectomy

The partial or complete removal of the clitoris.

Excision

Involves removal or partial removal of clitoris, as well as labia.

Infibulation

Narrowing of the vaginal opening.

Other

This includes other forms of FGM not classified above, such as, burning, piercing or scraping. Any one of these types of FGMs is carried out on a female at any time in her life.

Millions of cases of FGM are reported each year. According to the WHO, over 100 million women and girls have had their human rights violated.

FGM is considered a human rights violation because it inflicts unnecessary pain and harm to unwilling women and girls. Laws against FGM practices have been created in 18 African countries. If caught sentences from three months up to life in prison are given.

There are also 12 industrialized nations that have passed laws criminalizing FGM.

An 8-year-old girl from Djibouti died from the effects of FGM. She was held down by friends and neighbors while a “practitioner” subjected her to FGM. Her clitoris, labia minora and labia majora, all external genitalia, was cut away causing uncontrollable bleeding.

After the procedure was done the girl’s legs were tied shut to promote “healing” and she was refused water because the need to pass urine was thought to introduce bacteria to the wounds. The young helpless girl continued to bleed throughout the evening and sob uncontrollably due to pain.

Eventually the girl was taken to the hospital and given a blood transfusion. Sadly, it was too late to save her life.

FGM has been reported in 28 African countries and various Asian countries.

According to data from the WHO, seven countries: Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea, Mali, Somalia and Sudan have a FGM prevalence rate affecting 85 percent or more women. Other African countries have only slightly lower prevalence rates; a large portion of the African continent has not received FGM rates.

FGM is most likely performed in lower class poverty-stricken communities. This is due in part to the fact women and girls do not know FGM is against the law. Most believe that it is there duty as a woman to have FGM performed and if they refuse, they will be harshly criticized and shamed. These are the ones who are not held down and forced against their will.

Several campaigns to eradicate FGM from the world are underway. One government organization, the United Nations, has been tackling it as one of the world’s Millennium Development Goals. Also, Women against Female Genital Mutilation leads campaigns to increase awareness of FGM laws and harmful health and psychological effects of FGM on females.

The continuation of advocacy for women and girls suffering from Female Genital Mutilation needs to last until FGM prevalence is zero. People should continue to call their congressmen, write their legislature, and advocate for worlds helpless.

Hopefully, through the increased awareness, global campaigns, and laws FGM will become a thing of the past and no female will have to endure torturous inhumane pain ever again.

– Amy Robinson

Sources: World Health Organization, All Africa, WHO, UNICEF, Center for Reproductive Rights
Photo: International Business Times

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9 Facts About Poverty in the South Pacific

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When economic crises, military conflict and general mayhem plague the continents, few people consider the impact such events may have on the communities located in the South Pacific. Over 10 million people populate the 3,500 islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean, an extremely large number of whom suffer from debilitating disease and poverty.

Save for the extreme natural catastrophes that seem to constantly plague the Philippines, the high rates of poverty, poor education and abysmal health of Pacific islanders fails to gander consistent international attention.

To illustrate the severity of the problem, here are nine facts to learn about poverty in the South Pacific.

1. 38 percent of Papua New Guineans live below the National Basic Needs Poverty Line, which means 2.7 million people are unable to buy sufficient food and meet basic requirements for housing, clothing, transport and school fees. Even more alarmingly, 61 percent of the populace does not have access to safe drinking water.

2. Pacific islands are disproportionately affected by global disasters. A 2012 World Bank study revealed that of the 20 countries in the world with the highest average annual disaster losses scaled by gross domestic product, eight are Pacific island countries: Vanuatu, Niue, Tonga, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands and the Cook Islands.

3. Literacy rates are a persistent concern, especially on the Solomon Islands, where only 65 percent of the adult population (330,000 people) can read.

4. Pacific Islanders may be notorious for their love of canned meats like spam and corned beef, but what is not widely discussed is the debilitating effects such imported goods have on their health. As of 2007, eight of the 10 heaviest countries were located in the South Pacific. Nauru, the world’s smallest republic with just over 9,000 inhabitants, earned the number one spot with over 90 percent of their adult population considered obese.

5. Human rights violations also remain high in the pacific. Amnesty International recently reprimanded Papua New Guinea for burning a woman alive amid allegations of sorcery. Although the 1971 Sorcery Law has been repealed, which criminalized sorcery and could be used as a defense in murder trials, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women in 2012 found that sorcery allegations are often made to mask the abuse of women.

6. Domestic abuse and gendered violence is also a concern but inconsistent reporting makes it difficult to pinpoint exact levels of abuse. In the first National Study on Domestic Violence in Tonga, conducted in 2009, results found that 45 percent of Tongan woman reported having experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse in their lifetime.

7. Pacific Islanders are at high risk for Neglected Tropical Diseases, which commonly affect the world’s poor, women and disabled. Hookworm, leprosy, scabies and Japanese encephalitis are among the most prevalent; these adversely affect worker productivity, pregnancy outcomes and child cognition and development.

8. In 2010, Oceania unemployment rates reached 14 percent, while the United States average in the same period came in at 9 percent.

9. Since the mid 20th century, approximately 9.2 million people in the Pacific region have been affected by extreme events, resulting in 9,811 deaths and $3.2 billion in damages.

Pacific island nations’ small size, limited natural resources and great distances to major markets makes them particularly vulnerable to external crises and thus results in extremely volatile economies. Greater commitment to development initiatives will enable Oceanic nations to handle stresses caused by external forces and eventually strengthen the autonomy of the respective nations.

– Emily Bajet

Sources: University of Hawaii, Asian American For Equality, Oxfam, The World Bank, The World Bank News, Poodwaddle, Australia Network News, Australia Network, The New York Times, PLOS, Samoaobserver, Matangitonga, Labour
Photo: IFAD

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Common Cold Remedies from Across the Globe

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In most parts of the rural world, obtaining over-the-counter medication for a cold isn’t an option. Despite Tylenol’s world-wide market and the growing popularity of Vicks and Sudafed, sometimes the availability or the price of these products, or the unmistakably Western feel of them, makes them unappealing to parts of the globe.

There are stubborn old grandmothers in every country who insist they know best while passing on their home-style remedies for curing the common cold. Here’s a sampling of common cold remedies from across the globe:

Iran

A plate of cooked, mashed turnips to ease a cold. The vegetable is full of vitamin C and can ease a cough or ticklish throat.

Europe

Cow or sheep fat is wrapped in cloth, warmed, and placed on the chest to help with congestion. This is still sometimes used in rural areas to keep a deep cough from turning into pneumonia.

Russia and the Ukraine

Similar to eggnog, this hot drink is whisked egg yolk with a teaspoon of honey or sugar. Pour into a half-cup of warm milk prepared with a tablespoon of unsalted butter. Adding rum or cognac turns this into eggnog and promotes a good night’s sleep.

China

Rice porridge, or jook, is thought to be the easiest food to digest and cleanses a sick body of toxins. To prevent a cold some turn to mustard green soup: a pound of broad leaf mustard greens, cooked with a large sweet potato and simmered in water for a few hours. The resulting soup is hydrating and easy to stomach. Some people also burn Ai Ye, or wormwood to fend off a cold or to prevent further infection.

Hong Kong

A soup made up of dried lizards, yam and Chinese dates simmered in water

Italy

Tea with sage, bay leaf, lemon juice and honey. Another is horseradish tea: grate horseradish into boiling water before adding lemon juice and honey. This isn’t always the most enjoyable to drink, but the aroma is known for clearing out the sinuses.

India

Just a spoonful of ginger juice and honey. For sick kids parents will roast ajwaim, or carom seeds. Similar to thyme, this acts as a decongestant.

Turkey

Tea made with eight or more whole cloves, two or three cinnamon sticks, one full-circle star anise, a peeled whole ginger root that has been cracked in a few places. All of this is left to soak for about 45 minutes before being strained and served with honey.

Cuba

Oregano tea.

Vietnam

Broth-based Pho soup: includes chili to clear the sinuses and vitamin-packed veggies.

Japan

Tamagozake; a drink made with sake, one egg and honey. It strengthens the immune system and promotes a good night’s sleep. Another favorite is umeboshi or “pickled plum” which is eaten or steeped in tea with ginger and lemon.

South America and Spain

Lemon, honey and garlic in any combination. Garlic works as a decongestant, lemon thins mucus and honey boosts the immune system.

Morocco

An omelet made with garlic, oil and pepper.

Chad

Tea made by simmering hibiscus flower, fresh ginger, cinnamon, cloves and honey.

Netherlands

Black licorice-root candies and tea. Black licorice root contains glycyrrhizin, which has antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects and works to stop the growth of viruses.

Thailand

Tom Yum soup; traditionally made with shrimp and sometimes called hot-and-sour, this soup is made with coriander, lemongrass and lime leaves.

Korea

a combination of fermented cabbage or radish seasoned with garlic, salt, vinegar, chili peppers and other spices. This particular collection of spices and vitamins is thought to fight off disease.

Try a few and build them into your winter diet!

– Lydia Caswell

Sources: Health & Wellbeing, Health Line, Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, Fresh Juice
Photo: Method Magazine

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China’s Bird Flu on the Rise

China’s Bird Flu on the Rise
Health officials have reported 73 cases of people infected with H7N9 in China this January, making the total in the country 221.The bird flu initially infected domestic chickens and ducks back in 2013 but has now caused 57 human deaths. There have been few reported cases of the virus spreading from person to person and a WHO official suggests that it mainly circulates due to the present cold winter.

So far, the virus has not mutated but the WHO remains cautious due to increased travel by the millions for the Chinese New Year. The virus has already spread a large distance, further south and east to the Guangdong province. A WHO official suggests that the virus might be seasonal or possibly linked to the increased exposure to poultry as the nation prepares for the New Year.

Approximately 3.6 billion trips are estimated to occur during this holiday and this is dangerous due to the millions who will be purchasing or receiving poultry as gifts.

Humans acquire the virus when they are in close proximity to infected poultry, so anyone could potentially contract it at the street markets or just as easily at home during food preparations. Billions of Chinese will be traveling in trains or buses alongside their chickens for the two week holiday, which could possibly lead to more outbreaks.

Several health officials are worried about H7N9 because this strain does not make infected birds sick, so both farmers and customers are unaware of the danger. Other flu strains lead to the virus being released in feces while H7N9 is breathed out by the infected birds. The first H7N9 cases first reported in Shanghai last March but since then another 200 people became infected.

Transmission has occurred by family clusters versus person to person and scientists have discovered that it is due to genetic markers that allow easier infection to mammals.

People who become infected have severe flu symptoms such as high fever and respiratory problems. Many also have shortness of breath, muscular pain, and even pneumonia. Currently, there is no evidence that suggests that this virus may mutate and spread around the globe since reports don’t suggest simple human to human transmission.

Chinese authorities are investigating more cases because several reports suggest contaminated environments can also infect humans. Fear remains until the holiday is over as increased travel could lead to the virus mutating and quickly pass between people. The WHO remains vigilant for any mutations and does not advise travel.

– Maybelline Martez

Sources: USA Today, BBC, ABC News
Photo: Once Upon a Time

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Malaria 101 and Key Facts

Malaria 101 and Key Facts
Malaria is caused by the parasite called Plasmodium and is transmitted through four different types of mosquitoes. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas, though it is most common in the African Region. Malaria causes high fever, chills and other flu-like symptoms. Plus, if left untreated, this parasitic disease can cause death. Many global health and humanitarian aid organizations are focused on fighting malaria in developing countries while significant scientific research investigations into possible cures for this parasitic disease are also being done.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2012, there were 217 million malaria cases and  627, 000 malaria related  deaths, mostly in African children. In fact, one child dies every minute from this disease in the African continent.


Where is Malaria Found?

Malaria is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions where there are warm temperatures, high humidity and lots of rainfall. In order for malaria to occur, the climate must be one in which anopheles mosquitoes can survive and multiply. The Plasmodium parasite must also be able to complete their life cycle inside the mosquitoes.

For example, the most severe strain of malaria cannot be transmitted in temperatures under 68 degrees Fahrenheit because the parasites themselves cannot complete their life cycle inside the mosquitoes. The warmest climates close to the equator thus have the highest rates of malaria transmission. In effect, this parasitic disease occurs year-round in endemic levels within sub-Saharan Africa, New Guinea and South America.


How is Malaria Spread?

Malaria is typically spread through the female anopheles mosquitoes. This particular mosquito is a “dusk-to-dawn” mosquito, meaning it only comes out at night, which is why people in warm climates are encouraged to use sleeping nets. When the mosquito bites someone already infected with malaria and ingests their blood, the parasite is taken in as well, developing inside them and infecting their saliva. Once the parasite has completed a full life-cycle within the mosquito, the disease will be spread to the subsequent humans bitten by the mosquito.


What are the Symptoms of Malaria?

Symptoms can range from mild flu-like symptoms to severe disease and death. However, if this parasitic disease is caught and treated effectively and promptly, it is usually not severe.  Malaria is split into two categories, complicated and uncomplicated. Symptoms of uncomplicated malaria include fever, chills, sweating, headaches, body aches, nausea and vomiting as well as fatigue. In countries where malaria is not common malaria is, in fact, often misdiagnosed as influenza.

Complicated malaria occurs when the organs, blood or the metabolic system are impaired. This can cause severe anemia, acute respiratory distress, low blood pressure, acute kidney failure or cerebral malaria which then causes abnormal behavior, seizures and loss of consciousness.


How is Malaria Treated?

The WHO recommends all suspected malaria cases be tested using parasite diagnostic testing. The most common treatment for malaria is the artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT); however, resistance to antimalarial drugs is a recurring problem. Furthermore, access to testing and drugs often does not reach the poor communities where this parasitic disease is more prominent.


Who is Vulnerable?

People with delicate immune systems are the most vulnerable to malaria; this includes young children, pregnant women and people infected with HIV. International travelers traveling to warm climates are also particularly susceptible, as are the friends, family, neighbors and co-workers of people who immigrate from countries where malaria is endemic.

– Elizabeth Brown

Sources: CDC, Public Health Agency of Canada, World Health Organization
Photo: Global Biodefense