How Does Malaria Affect Public Health

Words: 1273
Pages: 6

Public Health: Malaria in Africa Malaria is one of most dangerous human parasitic disease. It is caused by various species of a genus of protozoan called Plasmodium, which is transmitted from one human to another through the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. There are between 200 and 300 million cases each year worldwide and about one million deaths annually, 90% in Africa and in children under five. Malaria is a major cause of infant mortality, and in countries where it is still endemic is one of the major factors contributing to underdevelopment. In addition, and especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is a major cause of morbidity in the form of chronic anemia in children and pregnant women. In countries where there is no social protection systems …show more content…
Malaria is certainly a poverty-related disease; especially affects the poor living in rural areas prone to malaria. Malaria causes more than a million deaths each year, and almost all of them occur in the poorest and most vulnerable countries in process of development of the world (Brentlinger 2006:13). In poorer countries is much harder to take steps to prevent malaria, which in turn is keeping them in poverty. But also the United Nations should help the governments of those countries to strengthen their public health system and to improve the environment quality. Most of the African countries are receiving funds to fight the malaria but at the same time the IMF, WB and UN should teach them create a better public health system being capable of fight this diseases self-sufficiently. This is kind of a politic of intervention in Africa because other politic entities are intervening positive and/or negative in Africa governmental system; the public health system is part of the governmental system. Also this issue with the malaria is affecting the African states and the global political economy because malaria may be linked to the economy in the sense of the investment that the world and African states are making to prevent and fight this