Funding strategies for malaria control and prevention

¶ … Health organization in 2008 there were between 190 and 311 million clinical cases of malaria and during the same year an estimated 708,000 to 1,003,000 people died of the disease, most children in Africa. The illness itself can range in seriousness from an extreme flu like illness with rash, high persistent fever, shaking chills and jaundice to an extreme case where death is the outcome. The disease is contracted when an individual is bitten by a mosquito that has previously ingested malaria infected blood. (CDC)

Four kinds of malaria parasites have long been known to infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. Recently, it has been recognized that P. knowlesi, a type of malaria that naturally infects macaques in Southeast Asia, also infects humans, causing malaria that is transmitted from animal to human ("zoonotic" malaria). P. falciparum is the type of malaria that is most likely to result in severe infections and if not promptly treated, may lead to death. Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death from malaria can usually be prevented. (CDC)

Malaria is one of the most serious diseases in the world, and yet it is highly treatable often preventable. Malaria strikes some of the most vulnerable populations in the world and though it is not always deadly can pose serious risk of death, especially in vulnerable populations. Poverty, accompanied by malnutrition lesser age or decreased immune response all increase the severity of the illness and increase mortality rates. Disease rates in the U.S. And other developed nations are often the result of travel, when individuals from non-Malaria nations travel to areas where malaria is prevalent and then return. Though it is not contagious between humans the illness still poses serious effects but has been neglected by developed nations as a result of the fact that it is uncommon in these nations. This scenario simply perpetuates the seriousness of the disease in more vulnerable populations and it needs to be addressed as a worthy cause. Malaria is in fact the leading cause of death among children in Africa. (Nothing but Nets)

Due to the fact that malaria, a parasitic disease is transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes the first wave of prevention should be the protection of humans from mosquitoes. There are several ways to provide this barrier to mosquito/human contact. Some of them include global environmental actions, such as regional draining and containment of standing water (draining wetlands), spraying of insecticides to reduce mosquito populations near humans and other means that are both costly and often have global consequences. This would then lead to personal protection against mosquito / human contact, which is clearly a rational and personally proactive solution to the problem.

Mosquito repellant is a relatively economical product, deet containing repellents are available in nearly every nation for pennies on the dollar and can then be offered to individual who cannot themselves obtain it. Research indicates that deet containing repellants, when distributed among high risk groups seriously decreases the incidence of malaria infection and therefore deaths. (Rowland, et.al. 335-342)

Another prevention option that can be funded relatively easily is the purchase and distribution of mosquito netting. A single net can cost as little as $10 dollars but is largely out of reach to millions of families who often live on much less than ten dollars a week in income. These two prevention interventions are cost effective in that they prevent malaria when used correctly, are relatively easy to come by and are very inexpensive, especially in comparison to the high cost of disease treatment and the incalculable cost of lost lives and human potential.

Prevention methods, combined with education have been shown to effectively prevent malaria and this is good because, the infrastructure of poor nations is often inadequate to care for those who do fall ill. Many malaria treatment medications are very expensive, where legitimate (non-counterfeit) remedies can be found. In many of these nations the problem is perpetuated by counterfeit drugs, which sap family resources and do little if anything to remediate symptoms. In fact the presence of these drugs may even worsen the problem by creating drug resistant strains, as many counterfeit medications have been shown to contain only minute amounts of the anti-malarial pharmaceuticals and therefore expose the parasites to amounts that simply allow them to adapt, rather than eradicating them in the human body.

According to the Kaiser foundation, researchers claim that the wave of counterfeit anti-malarial drugs has reached industrial levels, meaning that the drugs are being produced and distributed at a scale similar to real malaria drugs. In nations where access to health care is limited most drugs, including those that developed nations control by prescription processes are available over the counter. The counterfeits are also becoming increasingly legitimate looking with anti-counterfeit technology provided by legitimate drug producers being faked at a rapid rate. Cost cuts used to also give the buyer awareness that the drug might not be real, but as the counterfeiters get more and more skilled neither cost nor appearance can be used as legitimate ways to recognize fakes. (Keiser Foundation) in other words, individuals need to be offered legitimate and cost effective ways to avoid spending precious and hard earned money on "cures" that not only do not help but make the problem worse.