Count Out Malaria

In many parts of the world, mosquitoes are more than pesky. They’re deadly. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, male or female, young or old. They don’t discriminate. However, some people—including those with HIV/AIDS and weakened immune systems--are more at-risk to die from malaria.

“Counting Malaria Out, Count Me In” was the theme for this year’s annual World Malaria Day (April 25). I hope we’re counting mosquito nets and anti-malarial drugs for this preventable, treatable, and curable disease. Praise God, Faith Alive staff distribute nets and anti-malarial drugs to their HIV/AIDS patients.

According to Nigeria’s National Coordinator of the Malaria Control Programme, Dr. Folake Ademola-Majekodunmi said that about nine out of 10 Nigerians were at risk, and that about 50 per cent of the population would have at least one attack in a year. “It is estimated that about 66 per cent of all clinic attendance is due to malaria,” she said, noting that about 70 per cent of pregnant Nigerian women suffer from malaria, while about 11 per cent of them die of the sickness every year. It contributes to maternal anemia, low birth weight, and other pregnancy-related complications, including miscarriage and stillbirths.

Yes, let’s count out malaria. Click here for more facts about it, or click here to read a previous post about how malaria affected someone from Faith Alive.