Professional Documents
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CLASS-
ROLL NO-
PROJECT ADVISOR-
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that of class XII has successfully completed
the investigatory project on the topic MALARIA under the guidance of
CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• KEY FACTS
• CAUSES
• TRANSMISSION
• PREVENTION
• TREATMENT
• WHO responses..
• CASE STUDY
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease affecting humans and other animals caused
by parasitic single-celled microorganisms belonging to the Plasmodium group. Malaria
causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases it can
cause yellow skin, seizures, coma, or death. Symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten
by an infected mosquito. If not properly treated, people may have recurrences of the disease months
later. In those who have recently survived an infection, reinfection usually causes milder symptoms. This
partial resistance disappears over months to years if the person has no continuing exposure to malaria.
The risk of disease can be reduced by preventing mosquito bites through the use of mosquito
nets and insect repellents, or with mosquito control measures such as spraying insecticides and
draining standing water. Several medications are available to prevent malaria in travelers to areas where
the disease is common. Occasional doses of the combination medication sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine are
recommended in infants and after the first trimester of pregnancy in areas with high rates of
malaria. Despite a need, no effective vaccine exists, although efforts to develop one are ongoing. The
recommended treatment for malaria is a combination of antimalarial medications that includes
an artemisinin. The second medication may be either mefloquine, lumefantrine, or
sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine. Quinine along with doxycycline may be used if an artemisinin is not
available. It is recommended that in areas where the disease is common, malaria is confirmed if possible
before treatment is started due to concerns of increasing drug resistance. Resistance among the
parasites has developed to several antimalarial medications; for example, chloroquine-
resistant P. falciparum has spread to most malarial areas, and resistance to artemisinin has become a
problem in some parts of Southeast Asia.
KEY FACTS
work, and negative effects on tourism.
• Malaria is transmitted when a mosquito infected with the plasmodium parasite bites a
person. The mosquito acts as a carrier of the plasmodium meaning when a mosquito
bites a person infected with malaria, there is a high chance that the parasite can be
spread to a healthy individual when this mosquito bites that person.
• Did you know that malaria can be caused by four variants of the same parasite?
• Malaria is especially dangerous for pregnant women as the parasite can pass into the
mother’s womb and infect the foetus as well. Once the foetus has been infected with
malaria, it can lead to the baby being born with a low birth weight and may lead to
death.
CAUSES
Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. The parasite can be spread to humans through
the bites of infected mosquitoes.
There are many different types of plasmodium parasite, but only 5 types cause malaria in
humans.
These are:
• Plasmodium falciparum – mainly found in Africa, it's the most common type of malaria parasite
and is responsible for most malaria deaths worldwide
• Plasmodium vivax – mainly found in Asia and South America, this parasite causes milder
symptoms than Plasmodium falciparum, but it can stay in the liver for up to 3 years, which can
result in relapses
• Plasmodium ovale – fairly uncommon and usually found in West Africa, it can remain in your
liver for several years without producing symptoms
• Plasmodium malariae – this is quite rare and usually only found in Africa.
• Plasmodium knowlesi – this is very rare and found in parts of southeast Asia.
TRANSMISSON
The plasmodium parasite is spread by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are known as
"night-biting" mosquitoes because they most commonly bite between dusk and dawn.
If a mosquito bites a person already infected with malaria, it can also become infected and
spread the parasite on to other people. However, malaria can't be spread directly from person
to person.
Once you're bitten, the parasite enters the bloodstream and travels to the liver. The infection
develops in the liver before re-entering the bloodstream and invading the red blood cells.
The parasites grow and multiply in the red blood cells. At regular intervals, the infected blood
cells burst, releasing more parasites into the blood. Infected blood cells usually burst every 48-
72 hours. Each time they burst, you'll have a bout of fever, chills and sweating.
Malaria can also be spread through blood transfusions and the sharing of needles, but this is
very rare.
PREVENTION
There's a significant risk of getting malaria if you travel to an affected area. It's very important
you take precautions to prevent the disease.
Malaria can often be avoided using the ABCD approach to prevention, which stands for:
• Awareness of risk – find out whether you're at risk of getting malaria.
• Bite prevention – avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent, covering your arms and legs,
and using a mosquito net.
• Check whether you need to take malaria prevention tablets – if you do, make sure you take the
right antimalarial tablets at the right dose, and finish the course.
• Diagnosis – seek immediate medical advice if you have malaria symptoms, including up to a
year after you return from travelling.
These are outlined in more detail below.
Preventing bites
It's not possible to avoid mosquito bites completely, but the less you're bitten, the less likely you
are to get malaria.
To avoid being bitten:
• Stay somewhere that has effective air conditioning and screening on doors and windows. If this
isn't possible, make sure doors and windows close properly.
• 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. Remember to reapply it
frequently. The most effective repellents contain diethyltoluamide (DEET) and are available in
sprays, roll-ons, sticks and creams.
• Wear light, loose-fitting trousers rather than shorts, and wear shirts with long sleeves. This is
particularly important during early evening and at night, when mosquitoes prefer to feed.
There's no evidence to suggest homeopathic remedies, electronic buzzers, vitamins B1 or B12,
garlic, yeast extract spread (such as Marmite), tea tree oils or bath oils offer any protection
against mosquito bites.
Antimalarial tablets
There's currently no vaccine available that offers protection against malaria, so it's very
important to take antimalarial medication to reduce your chances of getting the disease.
However, antimalarials only reduce your risk of infection by about 90%, so taking steps to avoid
bites is also important.
When taking antimalarial medication:
• make sure you get the right antimalarial tablets before you go – check with your GP or
pharmacist if you're unsure
• follow the instructions included with your tablets carefully
• depending on the type you're taking, continue to take your tablets for up to 4 weeks after
returning from your trip to cover the incubation period of the disease
Check with your GP to make sure you're prescribed a medication you can tolerate. You may be
more at risk from side effects if you:
• have HIV or AIDS
• have epilepsy or any type of seizure condition
• are depressed or have another mental health condition
• have heart, liver or kidney problems
• take medicine, such as warfarin, to prevent blood clots
• use combined hormonal contraception, such as the contraceptive HYPERLINK
"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/combined-contraceptive-pill/" HYPERLINK
"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/combined-contraceptive-pill/"pillor contracepti
ve patches
If you've taken antimalarial medication in the past, don't assume it's suitable for future trips.
The antimalarial you need to take depends on which strain of malaria is carried by the
mosquitoes and whether they're resistant to certain types of antimalarial medication.
In the UK, chloroquine and proguanil can be bought over-the-counter from local pharmacies.
However, you should seek medical advice before buying it as it's rarely recommended
nowadays. For all other antimalarial tablets, you'll need a prescription from your GP.
Read more about antimalarial medication, including the main types and when to take them.
TREATMENT
Malaria is treated with antimalarial medications; the ones used depends on the type and
severity of the disease. While medications against fever are commonly used, their effects on
outcomes are not clear.
Simple or uncomplicated malaria may be treated with oral medications. The most effective
treatment for P. falciparum infection is the use of artemisinins in combination with other
antimalarials (known as artemisinin-combination therapy, or ACT), which decreases resistance
to any single drug component. These additional antimalarials
include: amodiaquine, lumefantrine, mefloquine or sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine.[94] Another
recommended combination is dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine. ACT is about 90% effective
when used to treat uncomplicated malaria. To treat malaria during pregnancy, the WHO
recommends the use of quinine plus clindamycin early in the pregnancy (1st trimester), and ACT
in later stages (2nd and 3rd trimesters). In the 2000s (decade), malaria with partial resistance to
artemisins emerged in Southeast Asia. Infection with P. vivax, P. ovale or P. malariae usually do
not require hospitalization. Treatment of P. vivax requires both treatment of blood stages (with
chloroquine or ACT) and clearance of liver forms with primaquine. Treatment
with tafenoquine prevents relapses after confirmed P. vivax malaria.
Severe and complicated malaria are almost always caused by infection with P. falciparum. The
other species usually cause only febrile disease. Severe and complicated malaria are medical
emergencies since mortality rates are high (10% to 50%). Cerebral malaria is the form of severe
and complicated malaria with the worst neurological symptoms. Recommended treatment for
severe malaria is the intravenous use of antimalarial drugs. For severe
malaria, parenteral artesunate was superior to quinine in both children and adults. In another
systematic review, artemisinin derivatives (artemether and arteether) were as efficacious as
quinine in the treatment of cerebral malaria in children. Treatment of severe malaria involves
supportive measures that are best done in a critical care unit. This includes the management
of high fevers and the seizures that may result from it. It also includes monitoring for poor
breathing effort, low blood sugar, and low blood potassium.
WHO response…
The WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030 – adopted by the World Health
Assembly in May 2015 – provides a technical framework for all malaria-endemic countries. It is
intended to guide and support regional and country programmes as they work towards malaria
control and elimination.
The Strategy sets ambitious but achievable global targets, including:
• Reducing malaria case incidence by at least 90% by 2030.
• Reducing malaria mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030.
• Eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030.
• Preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free.
This Strategy was the result of an extensive consultative process that spanned 2 years and
involved the participation of more than 400 technical experts from 70 Member States. It is
based on 3 key pillars:
• ensuring universal access to malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment;
• accelerating efforts towards elimination and attainment of malaria-free status; and
• Transforming malaria surveillance into a core intervention.
The WHO Global Malaria Programme (GMP) coordinates WHO's global efforts to control and
eliminate malaria by:
• setting, communicating and promoting the adoption of evidence-based norms,
standards, policies, technical strategies, and guidelines;
• keeping independent score of global progress;
• developing approaches for capacity building, systems strengthening, and surveillance;
and
• Identifying threats to malaria control and elimination as well as new areas for action.
GMP is supported and advised by the Malaria Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC), a group of 15
global malaria experts appointed following an open nomination process. The MPAC, which
meets twice yearly, provides independent advice to WHO to develop policy recommendations
for the control and elimination of malaria. The mandate of MPAC is to provide strategic advice
and technical input, and extends to all aspects of malaria control and elimination, as part of a
transparent, responsive and credible policy setting process.