Why does malaria occur as a major health problem in Ghana?
Malaria presents a serious health problem in Ghana; it is hyper- endemic with a crude parasite rate ranging from 10 – 70% and plasmodium falciparum the major malaria parasite, dominating3.
How does malaria affect Ghana?
With 3% of global malaria cases and deaths, Ghana is among the 15 highest burden malaria countries in the world. Ghana reported the highest increase in absolute case numbers, (500,000 new cases) from 2017 to 2018, which represents a 5% increase versus 2017 levels (from 213 to 224 per 1000 of the population at risk).
Is malaria common in Ghana?
Malaria is endemic and perennial in all parts of Ghana with seasonal variations more pronounced in the north. The Plasmodium falciparum parasite accounts for over 95 percent of malaria infections.
Why is malaria so bad in Africa?
Africa is the most affected due to a combination of factors: A very efficient mosquito (Anopheles gambiae complex) is responsible for high transmission. The predominant parasite species is Plasmodium falciparum , which is the species that is most likely to cause severe malaria and death.
How many people die annually from malaria in Ghana?
Malaria affected a large number of people in Ghana throughout the years, causing almost 19 thousand deaths in 2017. Pregnant women and infants are generally the most vulnerable to malaria infection.
How do we prevent malaria?
Preventing bites
- Stay somewhere that has effective air conditioning and screening on doors and windows. …
- If you’re not sleeping in an air-conditioned room, sleep under an intact mosquito net that’s been treated with insecticide.
- Use insect repellent on your skin and in sleeping environments.
Where does malaria occur most in the world?
Most malaria cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the WHO regions of South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and the Americas are also at risk. Some population groups are at considerably higher risk of contracting malaria, and developing severe disease, than others.
Is malaria a pandemic or epidemic?
Examples of major epidemics include cholera and diarrhoeal diseases, measles, malaria, and dengue fever. A pandemic is an epidemic of infec- tious disease that spreads through human popula- tions across a large region, multiple continents or globally. These are diseases that infect humans and can spread easily.
What are the 5 types of malaria?
What Are the Different Types of Malaria Parasites?
- Plasmodium falciparum (or P. falciparum)
- Plasmodium malariae (or P. malariae)
- Plasmodium vivax (or P. vivax)
- Plasmodium ovale (or P. ovale)
- Plasmodium knowlesi (or P. knowlesi)
What injections do I need for Ghana?
The National Travel Health Network and Centre and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for Ghana: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio and tetanus.
What type of malaria is in Ghana?
In Ghana, P. falciparum is the most prevalent malaria causing species with a prevalence of 98% followed by P. malariae and P. ovale with prevalence of 2–9 and 1% respectively [6].
Do you need malaria tablets for Ghana?
Malaria is a risk in Ghana. Fill your malaria prescription before you leave and take enough with you for the entire length of your trip. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking the pills; some need to be started before you leave.
How does malaria kill?
HOW IT KILLS. If drugs are not available or if the parasites are resistant to them, malaria infection can develop to anemia, hypoglycemia or cerebral malaria, in which capillaries carrying blood to the brain are blocked. Cerebral malaria can cause coma, life-long-learning disabilities, and death.
How bad is malaria in Africa?
Disease burden
Most were in the WHO African Region, with an estimated 200 million cases, or 92% of global cases. In 2017, five countries accounted for nearly half of all malaria cases worldwide. Four of these were in Africa: Nigeria (25%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (11%), Mozambique (5%), and Uganda (4%).
How has malaria affected Africa?
Once seen as a consequence of poverty, malaria is now regarded as one of its causes. Experts say malaria slows economic growth in Africa by up to 1.3 percent per year. Rural and poor people are especially at risk because they are least likely to have the means to prevent and treat malaria.