"If the U.S. want to win a war...

... it is the war against malaria." (Youssou N'Dour**)

Malaria… the most common and deadly parasitic disease in the world. Malaria is a disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes to humans when an infected mosquito bites a person. It usually causes high fevers, chills, headaches, and body aches. The parasite, once in the human body, travels to the liver through the blood. The person does not get sick until the malaria parasite comes out of the liver. The parasite can stay in the liver for a very long time but the worst type of malaria usually comes out of the liver within two weeks after the bite.
There is no vaccine to protect you from malaria. Malaria commonly causes very serious disease and sometimes death. People can die within 12 hours from the time they get their first symptoms. These are the bare facts. Nasty.

Although sending the message out about how people contract malaria may sound simple, there are many myths and misconceptions about the disease. Some people truly believe that they get malaria from exerting themselves too much as they work in the fields, others that you cure it by drinking gin and tonic… Not everyone, like Hilaire, Louis and Rosalie thinks that sleeping under a moquito net is like sleeping in a nice white princess bed, some find it too hot to sleep under, others fear they might suffocate.

Education is a key factor to eradicate malaria, comparing the cost of the medication to the cost of a bed net is one of the many ways tried to convince people to protect themselves and their children. Yet for a quick buck, too many UNICEF or WHO sponsored bed nets are resold on Ouaga’s yaars* by people wanting some extra cash.
Malaria, ‘that’s not interesting’ our friend François would say. Too right, too many people catch it these days during the rainy seasons. For people in Burkina, it’s like flu, it comes around every year, most people around the office had it. I have been spared so far, but another friend caught it today, she was taking malaria pills… and spirulina… too good things to maybe lessen the symptoms and help her recover faster. But the main thing is to avoid the bites in the first place, wearing long sleeves and using insect repellent.

Malaria kills over one million children in Africa each year… Being able to produce locally some cheap impregnated mosquito nets would be a big step towards fighting the disease and protecting pregnant women and young children, who are the most at risk.

*local markets

** Youssou N'Dour, the Senegalese singer and UNICEF ambassador, embraced the cause of the fight against malaria.