malaria

The free mass testing and treatment was conducted to commemorate World Malaria Day, which falls on April 25^th every year, with more than 150 people being tested and 11 people being treated for malaria.

The 2023 World Malaria theme is; ‘Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate and Implement’.

Public awareness on malaria, including children’s immunisation, TB and other diseases was conducted at the market, including distribution of brochures and posters to the public.

Malaria trilateral project, Rotarians Against Malaria, WHO, and the PNG Institute of Medical Research were part of this visit.

The main message delivered to the school children and parents of Kerea primary school was that malaria is preventable by sleeping under a treated mosquito net and curable if tested early and treated with a complete course of medication.

These achievements were presented by the National Department of Health Malaria Program Manager, Leo Makita; PNG Institute of Medical Research Deputy Director, Dr Moses Laman; and National Department of Health Malaria Medical Officer, Dr Leonard Nawara, to over 100 medical practitioners and students at the University of Papua New Guinea’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences on 26 February.

Experts from Melbourne independent medical research centre, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, have discovered carbohydrates play a vital role in the malaria parasite's infection of humans.

Justin Boddey and his team made the discovery, which debunks the long-held belief that the single-celled malaria parasite only uses proteins to infect humans.

"So what this research has shown is that the parasite tags many of the proteins on its surface with carbohydrates," he told AM.

A team tested their idea in nine villages in the arid Bandiagara district of Mali, West Africa.

Removing flowers from a common shrub appeared to kill off lots of the older, adult, female, biting insects that transmit malaria.

Without enough nectar the "granny" mosquitoes starve, experts believe.

Killing granny

Getting rid of the mature females can stop the cycle of malaria transmission.

These Anopheles mosquitoes carry the malaria parasite in their salivary glands and pass it on to people when they bite and draw blood.

Out of the nine million, eight million has gone directly to households, while the other one million goes to pregnant women, schools and prison.

The RAM has been in the country since 2009, assisting the National Department of Health in combating malaria.

But it is also the biggest challenge for the National Health Department and partners.

Leo Makita, Program Manager Malaria says that “getting people to sleep under a mosquito net every day is a big challenge.

Still, this is the most basic rule in malaria prevention, he says.

“Our aim is to make sure people use mosquito nets and are getting tested and treated,” he said.

This year’s global theme for World Malaria Day is ‘End Malaria for Good’.

As a lead-up to 25 April, the World Health Organization is shining a spotlight on prevention, a critical strategy for reducing the toll of a disease that continues to kill more than 400,000 people annually.

Since 2000, malaria prevention has played an important role in reducing cases and deaths, primarily through the scale up of insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying with insecticides.

Loop lifestyle brings information you should know about Dengue and Severe Dengue made available by the City Pharmacy group through their awareness program.

DENGUE is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions of WHO in recent years.

Dengue virus is transmitted by female mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedesaegypti, and to lesser extent.

 The disease is widespread throughout the tropics, with local variations in risk influenced by rainfall, temperature and unplanned rapid urbanization.

Dengue, like Malaria, is mosquito-borne. However, it is a viral infection, still without a cure and considered very dangerous.

PNG had reported cases of dengue in 2016.

Early February this year, Sr Miriam Joseph from the nurse station at Stop N Shop – Rainbow also referred one positive case.

Thus, CPL has taken the responsibility to inform its staff about this infectious disease, to spread awareness within their shops.

Sr Joseph said especially during this rainy season, people need exercise preventative measures.