Introduction
Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria especially in pregnant women. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD, 2007), stated that that malaria is the highest cause of death in children under 5 and pregnant women are not most vulnerable and but children and at the highest risk of malaria infection. Malaria put a great burden on our economy, thereby hindering development efforts.
Malaria is a major health problem in the country that puts 90 percent of the population at risk. Studies show that about 50 percent of the population suffers at least on attack of malaria while pregnant women would have two or more attacks per annum. Malaria causes death of one two out of every 10 women who die during pregnancy. Followmy Health (FMH, 2007) observed thatmalaria is a target, one thing about malaria is that you have to use effective drug; It is preventable, treatable and other animals caused by parasite protozoon’s (A type of single cell micro-organism) of the plasmodium type. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue, vomiting and headache. In severe cases it can cause yellow skill, seizures, coma or death.
Pregnant women are more susceptible than the general population to malaria. They are more likely to become infected, suffer a recurrence, develop, severe complications and to die from the disease. Malaria contributes very significantly to maternal and fatal mortality with at least 10,000 maternal deaths per annum attributable in sub-Sahara Africa. Regardless of symptoms the presence of plasmodia parasites in a pregnant women’s body will have a negative impact on her foetus. Restricting treatment to symptomatic pregnant women is an inadequate strategy to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with malaria. Sub-clinical infection is common in areas where natural immunity is high example sub-the Asia-Pacific region and South Africa.
Treatment can be more difficult due to restrictions on anti-malaria agents. Many are unlicensed in pregnancy due to lack clinical trials involving this important population for treat of fear of damaging the foetus. There is frequently a lack of good. Past – marketing survey where those drugs are routinely used in pregnancy. However, data support the safety of artemisinin combined drugs (ACDs) and their advent has provided a useful therapeutic option with regard to chemoprophylaxis, recent world Health Organization (WHO) recommendation and a large Meta analysis support the use of intermitted prophylactic treatment during the second and third trimester.
Conceptual framework
An intermittent and remittents fever caused by a protozoan parasite that invades the red blood cells, the parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes in many tropical and subtropical regions.
According to Centre for Disease Control (CDC 2015) Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal; a certain type of mosquito which feed on humans, people who get malaria are tropically very sick with high fevers, shaking, chill and flu-like illness. Four kind of malarial parasites infect humans’ plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P.ovale and P. malariae. In addition P. Knowles is a type of malaria that naturally infects macaques South East Asia, also infects human causing malaria that is transmitted from animal to human (“Zoonotic” malaria) P. falciparum is a type of malaria that is most likelyto result in severe infections and if not promptly treated, may lead to death.
Medical News (2003) stated that malaria is an intermittent and remittent fever caused by protozoan parasites that invade the red blood cells; the parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes in many tropical and subtropical regions.
Origin of malaria
The history of malaria stretches from its prehistoric origin as a zoonotic disease in the primates of Africa through to the 21st century; A widespread and potentially i.e. that human infectious disease, as its peak malaria infected every continent except Antarctica, its prevention and treatment have been target in science and medicine for hundreds of years since the discovery of the parasites which cause it, research attention has focused on their biology, as well as that of the mosquito which transmit the parasites (Harper, 2011).
The most critical factors in the spread or eradiation of disease have been human behaviour (shifting population centres, changing forming methods and like) and living standards; precise statistic do not exist because many causes occur in rural areas where people do not have access to hospitals or other health care as a consequence, the majority of cases are undocumented. Poverty have been and remains associated with the disease; four thousand of years, traditional herbal remedies have been used to treat malaria, the first effective treatment for malaria came from the back of cincliona tree, which contains quinine. After the link to mosquito and their parasites were identified in the early twenty century, mosquito control measures such as wide spread use of DDT (dichlorodiphenyitrichlorn) ethiaric, swamp drainage, covering or oiling the surface of open water surface, indoor residual spraying and use of insecticide treated nets was indicated. Prophylactic quinine was prescribed in malaria endemic areas and new therapeutic drugs including chloroquine and artemisinins were used resist the scour-age (Webb, 2009).
Causes of malaria among pregnant women
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasite called Plasmodium; it is transmitted by female Anopheles Mosquito and culicifecies in rural area and Anstephensi urban area, there are many vectors of malaria Anopheles culicifaciesis the main vector of malaria (Caraballo, 2014).
Feeding habits
- It is a zoophilic species.
- When high densities build up relatively large numbers feed on men (Bartoloni and Zammarch, 2012)
Resting habits
- Rests during daytime in human dwellings and Cattle-shed (Bartoloni&Zammarchi 2012)
Breeding places
- Bleeding in rainwater, pool and puddles, borrow pits, river bed pools, irrigation channels, seepages, rice fluids, wells, pond margins, sluggish streams with sandy margins.
- Extensive breeding is generally encountered following monsoon rains (Greenwood, 2015)
Mode of transmission
The female Anopheles mosquito is the vector for human malaria, some 60 species of this mosquito have been identified as vector for malaria and their distribution varies from country to country, the infection is transmitted by the bite of an infected female mosquito Anopheles and culocofecies in rural area. The mosquito become infected by biting a patient with malaria infection; when a mosquito bit an infected individual, it sick’s the gametocytes, the sexual forms of the parasite along with blood. These gametocytes continue the sexual phase of the cycle and the protozoites fill the salivary glands of the infected mosquito, once the mosquito becomes infected, it remain so for life.The female mosquito can survive unto 4 weeks under normal temperature that is 280Cto 500Cand humidity that is 600C to 800C. When this female mosquito bites the man for a blood meal which it needs to nourish its eggs it inoculates the sporozoites into human blood steam thus spreading the infection (WHO, 2014).
Signs and symptoms of malaria during pregnancy among the people
Symptoms of malaria can developed by an quickly a seven days after you bitten by an infected mosquito. Typically, the time between being infected and when symptoms start (incubation Periods) is seven to 18 years depending on the specific parasite you are infected with. However, in some cases it can take up to a year for symptom to develop (Talwar, 2009).
The initial symptoms of malaria are:
- High temperature (fever)
- Headache
- Sweats
- Chills
- Vomiting
- Shivering
Influence of malaria on pregnant women
Malaria has a number of effects on the body. The parasite passes from the blood (where it enters via the bits of an infected mosquito) into the liver, where it reproduces and changes forms. After a period of 1-4 weeks (usually it can be longer) in the live, the malaria parasite that is enters the blood and begins to infect red blood cells, undoing more reproduction inside the cells and then in synchrony, bursting out once the cycle is complete. This process of toxin and debits in the blood, the resultant immune reaction produces side effects which are the common observable symptoms of malaria such as fever, chills, nausea and aches (Nosten, 2012).
Prevention and control of malaria among pregnant women
Preventing bites
It is not possible to avoid mosquito bites completely but the less you are bitten, the less likely you are to get malaria.
- It stay somewhere that has effective are conditioning and screening on doors and windows. If this is not possible, makes sure that door and widows close properly (Dixen & Kiok, 2011).
- If you are not sleeping air-conditioned room sleep under an intact mosquito not that has been treated with insecticide (Caraballo, 2014)
- Use insect repellent on your skin and in sleeping environments. Remember to re-apply it frequency, the most effect repellents contain DEET (Diethyltotuamide) and are available in sprays roll-ones, sticks and creams (Harper, 2011).
- 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 (Harper, 2011).
- Using of mosquito net regularly (Dixon & Kirk, 2011).
References
Advance Micro Devices (2007).The history of malaria and its background.New York: AMD
Bartoloni, F. &Zammarchi, K. (2012).Clinical aspects of uncomplicated and severe malaria.Mediterranean Journal of Haematology and Infectious Diseases 4(1):e2012026.
Boxill, I., Chambers, C. &Wint, E. (2007).Introduction to social research with applications to the Caribbean. West Indies: University of West Indies Press.
Centre for Prevention and Disease Control (CDC, 2015).Mode of transmission of malaria.New York: CDC
Caraballo, H. (2014). Emergency department management of mosquito borne illness: malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus: Emergency Medicine Practice 16(5): 351-9.
Greenwood, B. M. (2005). “Malaria”.Lancet 365(9469): 1487-98.
Harper, K. (2011). “The changing disease scope in the third epidemiological transition” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7:675-97.
Nosten, F. (2012). “Malaria in pregnancy in the Asia-pacific region”Lancet 12(1):75-88.
Talwar, A. (2009). “Critical care aspects of malaria” Journal of Intensive Care Medicine 25:93-103.
Webb, J. A (2009).Humanity’s burden: a global history of malaria. London: Cambridge University press.
WHO (2014).World malaria report 2014. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. Pp 32-42.
