April is Malaria month and I wanted to write a post in the
hopes of spreading even a little bit of awareness. Malaria is a major health problem in Sub-Saharan
Africa. In individual areas,
malaria may not be one of the major health issues, but as a whole area, malaria
is at the top of the list.
Specifically in Ethiopia, there is a population of about 93.8 million
people and 67% of the population is at risk of malaria. Also, malaria is responsible for 88 per
1,000 deaths in children under five.
There are many regions in Ethiopia that have a low risk of
malaria, but cumulatively the risk of the country as a whole is extremely
high. It is amazing to me that the
rate is so high considering the easy ways to prevent malaria. Bet nets are available as well as bug
spray. There is malarial
medication that every Peace Corps volunteer is required to take (although it
may not be available for nationals).
Each family in Ethiopia is given a bed net for free. Many use the bed nets for other things
due to either lack of knowledge or the belief that malaria does not affect
them.
I love that there is a month each year that is dedicated to
the awareness of malaria. As a
volunteer in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is so important for me to do what I can in
working towards wiping out malaria.
Even for those volunteers who live in areas of low rates of malaria, I
believe that we can all do something to stomp out malaria in Africa.
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