The "M" Word

Can you guess what the leading cause of school absenteeism is here in Mozambique?

If you guessed, children having to work to help support their families, then you’re wrong.  It’s malaria.  Before coming to Africa, I didn't know that much about malaria.  All I knew was that it was transmitted by mosquitoes and that it could be fatal if it wasn't treated.  While this is true, here are some additional facts that I learned during my pre-service training (PST):

-Malaria is the number one killer in Mozambique.  29% of deaths caused by malaria and 27% by AIDS, being second

- The people who have the highest risk of getting malaria are kids under the age of 5 years old, HIV positive people, and pregnant woman

-Malaria is only transmitted by mosquitoes

-Malaria transmitted by female mosquitoes

-The symptoms of malaria include fever, vomiting, sweats, dizziness, weakness, nausea, body aches, fatigue, anemia, loss of appetite, retinal bleeding, and kidney failure

-Malaria is transmitted when a mosquito bites someone with malaria.  The mosquito then bites another person, thereby transmitting the disease to him/her

-The mosquitoes generally eat between 6 PM and 6 AM

How can I lower my chances of getting malaria?  Well, I take a pill every Friday and I sleep underneath a mosquito net.  It’s treated with chemicals that kill the mosquito after it makes contact with the net.  Both the medication and the mosquito net were provided by the Peace Corps.

Many Peace Corps volunteers in Africa have spearheaded some impressive projects to spread awareness and help decrease malaria.  Volunteers have given talks in their classrooms and communities, created murals, made radio broadcasts, utilized social media, and so much more.

To find out more about what volunteers are doing to reduce malaria in Africa, go to www.stompoutmalaria.org