Stomp

Picture yourself, sleeping, dreaming, maybe you're dreaming of a bountiful harvest. One that will feed your family and provide for your basic needs. Upon waking, you first look at your children; still sleeping peacefully in the cool mornig air. You do your best to provide safety and comfort to your family with what little you have. Your sling shot rarely leaves your side; incase a snake should intrude and you have dogs to protect while you're away. Yet, your children lay there, night after night, exposed, perfect prey for one of Africa's sneakest killers. The Anapholes mosquito. Unfortunately there was no net distribution this year. And after school fees, not enough money to buy your own. One of your children, your youngest, wakes with a fever and headaches. Malaria. You walk the 9km to the vlinic with your child slung on your back only to find out they are out of malarial drugs. There is nothing that can be done. Sadly, you walk the 9km back home. No food or water. The malaria spreads, becomes cerebral. Luckilly your child recovers, but develops brain damage. A future gone; with just one insect bite.

You may think this is an extreme situation. But things like this happen all the time.Just yesterday, at my clinic, we had to send people home, untreated. Because we were out of malarial drugs. There was nothing we could do to help them. And no transport out of Misengo until Monday. So it will be Tuesday before the drugs are available at the clinic. I would say; this time of year, during rainy season; an average of 80% of the patients we see are diagnosed with malaria. Some of them walk further than 9km to get treatment.

Malaria is caused, primarilly, by the Anapholes mosquito, which only comes out between midnight and 6 AM. This is why nets are so helpful in preventing malaria. There is also IRS (indoor residual spraying) where the health department will come and spray all your houses with insecticide (DDT) to help repel mosquitos. This needs to be done once a year, at the start of rainy season. Realistically, this is not always an option.

The most susceptible to malaria are pregnant women, immune compromised individuals, elderly, and children under 5 years of age. Others have built up an immunity to it. Most of the cases we see at the clinic are children under 5 years. Malaria has an incubation period of 9 days before you show any signs of sickness. The signs of malaria are: fever, chills, sweats, headaches, nausea & vomiting, body aches, and general malaise.

Malaria is a serious problem in Africa. 90% of all malaria related deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. How will you stomp out malaria in 2013?

.Stomping Out Malaria in Africa is a Peace Corps initiative that uses strategic partnerships, targeted training Volunteers and intelligent use of information technology to support the local malaria prevention efforts of over 3,000 Volunteers in sub-Saharan Africa. For more information go to www.stompoutmalaria.org and follow Stomp activities at http://www.facebook.com/StompOutMalaria.