Grado en Ingeniería de Materiales
9. Teoría general de la flexión. Análisis de Deformaciones
Malaria is a disease caused by parasites, called Plasmodium, that live and multiply in red blood cells. Malaria causes high fever, headaches, muscle and tummy aches, pain, weakness, and chills. Without timely
treatment it can lead to death. There are different types of malaria parasites. Some are serious, especially for children and pregnant women. Malaria is a serious health problem worldwide. Approximately 247 million people get the disease each year. In 2010, it is estimated that that 1.24 million people died from malaria. Most of these deaths were in Africa and many were young children.
Although we see more severe cases of malaria in children under five years of age, school-age children actually have the highest rates of malaria parasites.
The malaria parasite is usually transmitted by the bite of a type of infected female mosquito (Anopheles). These mosquitos are infected through a previous blood meal taken from an infected person. When a mosquito bites an infected person, a small amount of blood is taken in which contains microscopic malaria parasites. About 1 week later, when the mosquito takes its next blood meal, these parasites mix with the mosquito’s saliva and are injected into the next person being bitten. The mosquito bites between sunset and sunrise.
Malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes contaminated with blood. Malaria may also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn infant before or during delivery (congenital malaria).
A person with malaria parasites can begin to feel unwell 7-14 days after the bite, but it may be much longer. In malaria areas over time, most people get some types of malaria parasites in their blood. A person’s body learns how to cope with the parasite. This “coping mechanism” gives people some protection from or minimizes the effects of malaria. These people are less likely to die compared with children under five years of age. However, even if a person does not feel ill, the malaria parasite damages red blood cells and causes another problem, called anemia. Anemia causes chronic fatigue, poor concentration, and prevents adults from working and children from learning. In many countries where malaria is endemic, most school children will have malaria parasites in their blood. For example in Mali, 80% of school-aged children had parasites. Anemia is a widespread problem for these children.
Preventing malaria
One of the best ways to prevent malaria is to sit and sleep under mosquito nets treated with long-lasting insecticide. The insecticide on the net kills mosquitoes when they land on it and it prevents mosquitoes from entering the net to bite. Long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLITNs) will last for three years, but they must be monitored for holes and tears. In some areas, government teams use sprays. For example, they may spray the inside of houses. The insecticide sits on the wall and kills mosquitoes when they land on it. Other types of spraying include ‘space spraying’ into the air during times of epidemics and spraying areas where mosquitos breed.
Other methods of prevention include chemoprevention, which means taking antimalarial pills daily, weekly, or periodically (e.g. once a term), depending on the drug. Personal action to stop mosquitos biting include: wearing long trousers and long-sleeved shirts to prevent the biting after dark, and sleeping under the net, using repellents, and screening doors and windows.
If a person starts to get the symptoms of malaria they need to be checked and treated at the health clinic. Early treatment helps prevent malaria from becoming serious. Pills are given to treat malaria, and it is very important to take the pills exactly as instructed and to complete the treatment even if the symptoms have gone. People with malaria need to be kept cool and given lots of rehydrating fluids that include some salt and sugar. People recovering from malaria need extra rest and food. School children ill with malaria can miss 10 days of lessons, causing them to fall behind.
Teachers and children are important activitists in the fight against malaria. They can spread health messages, ensure that children are sleeping under insecticide-treated nets, and that those nets are being used correctly. Children can help support family members and take chemoprotection or medicine to treat malaria correctly. They can make and give rehydrating drinks and nutritous soups during the fever. Children can help friends to catch up with school work after they have had malaria.
Malaria Lesson Plan
Lesson aim
Children will know why and how to minimize mosquito bites and how to ensure that they are protected by the correct use of bed nets where relevant.
Lesson objectives
By the end of the lesson, children must:
•
Know what malaria is, what its symptoms are, and how it is spread,•
Know how to prevent mosquitoes from biting them at night,•
Know how to help people with malaria,•
Know that they must use LLITNs, and•
Be able to use and maintain the LLITNs in the correct way. Lesson preparationBefore teaching this lesson, the teacher must gain an understanding of how common and how serious the problem of malaria is in the community. In addition, the teacher must gain an understanding of the programs for preventing and treating malaria in the community. In particular, the availability and use of LLITNs and the use of chemoprevention (antimalarial pills) daily, weekly, or intermittently. With the help of the children, and if possible health workers, the teacher can collect information about the availability of LLITNs, how they are used and maintained at household level, and can identify any problems such as how to fix the net and mosquitoes biting children in the evenings before they are ready for sleep.
Lesson materials