Part 2: Health Issue Paper (A case study on Malaria)
Magnitude of Malaria in Nigeria:
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite called plasmodium which infects human blood cells (A parasite is an organism that can only exist in the body of another organism for all or part of their life). In Nigeria 98% of malaria infections are due to Plasmodium falciparum. This parasite causes the most deadly form of malaria, known as severe malaria. Other forms of malaria present in Nigeria include P. ovale and P. malariae which play a minor role with the latter being quite common as a double infection in children.
Malaria is endemic in all parts of Nigeria although some parts have higher transmission than others. This means that all of the populations are …show more content…
These conditions encompasses the social, economic, political, cultural and environmental determinants of health (WHO, 2013).
Over the years, focus has been on treatment of patients with medicinal remedies without realizing that it is far beyond just treatment but also inclusive of the social sphere which include the adjustment of home environment.
In England, the achievement in the reduction of local malaria was neither to the deliberate application of any particular preventive method presumed to be specific nor natural causes but to progressive improvements of social economic, educational, medical and public health character (WHO, …show more content…
These include poverty and poor quality of housing, poor access to information especially among women, poor access to health care services, lack of education and awareness, cultural beliefs and practices, poor involvement of target beneficiaries at community level, insecurity and unrestrained exploitation of resources. It is important to note that there is strong connection between being educated and child mortality. An uneducated mother is likely not going to give her child proper care when down with fever. The tendency of exposing the child to mosquito bites and allowing an unclean environment is high. Borrowing from the Dahlgren and Whitehead explanation of the complex social influence on health where socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions, social and community networks and individual lifestyles impact on health (Global Health …….) These complex social factors are further broken down into specific factors such as Agriculture and food production, education, work environment, unemployment, water and sanitation, health care services and housing. In order to survive, people have to farm, hence, exposing themselves to mosquito bites while farming. This has contributed in the number deaths due to malaria in Nigeria. Majority of the citizens live in the rural areas where malaria is endemic. Consequently, unemployment as a factor has made people to take menial jobs that exposes
Magnitude of Malaria in Nigeria:
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite called plasmodium which infects human blood cells (A parasite is an organism that can only exist in the body of another organism for all or part of their life). In Nigeria 98% of malaria infections are due to Plasmodium falciparum. This parasite causes the most deadly form of malaria, known as severe malaria. Other forms of malaria present in Nigeria include P. ovale and P. malariae which play a minor role with the latter being quite common as a double infection in children.
Malaria is endemic in all parts of Nigeria although some parts have higher transmission than others. This means that all of the populations are …show more content…
These conditions encompasses the social, economic, political, cultural and environmental determinants of health (WHO, 2013).
Over the years, focus has been on treatment of patients with medicinal remedies without realizing that it is far beyond just treatment but also inclusive of the social sphere which include the adjustment of home environment.
In England, the achievement in the reduction of local malaria was neither to the deliberate application of any particular preventive method presumed to be specific nor natural causes but to progressive improvements of social economic, educational, medical and public health character (WHO, …show more content…
These include poverty and poor quality of housing, poor access to information especially among women, poor access to health care services, lack of education and awareness, cultural beliefs and practices, poor involvement of target beneficiaries at community level, insecurity and unrestrained exploitation of resources. It is important to note that there is strong connection between being educated and child mortality. An uneducated mother is likely not going to give her child proper care when down with fever. The tendency of exposing the child to mosquito bites and allowing an unclean environment is high. Borrowing from the Dahlgren and Whitehead explanation of the complex social influence on health where socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions, social and community networks and individual lifestyles impact on health (Global Health …….) These complex social factors are further broken down into specific factors such as Agriculture and food production, education, work environment, unemployment, water and sanitation, health care services and housing. In order to survive, people have to farm, hence, exposing themselves to mosquito bites while farming. This has contributed in the number deaths due to malaria in Nigeria. Majority of the citizens live in the rural areas where malaria is endemic. Consequently, unemployment as a factor has made people to take menial jobs that exposes