Malaria also known as “Paludismo” is a world widely spread disease, with special prevalence in equator line tropical countries and it affects, every year, 230 million people, resulting in about 430 thousand deaths. With almost 5 million cases and 12 thousand deaths in the year of 2018, malaria is considered a major death cause in Angola.
World Malaria Day is celebrated every year on the 25th of April and, considering that the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic is currently present on all continents, it is important to remember that it is necessary to continue the fight against potentially fatal diseases, already spread across the African continent - such as malaria.
The main symptons of the disease appear between 10 to 15 days after the mosquito bite and usually are fever, fatigue, vomiting and headaches, but in more serious situations, they may develop to jaundice, seizure, coma or even death. In most cases, the classic symptom is called paroxysm, cyclic alternation between the sudden sensation of intense cold and chills in response to peak of fever and sweating.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, compared to 2018, the number of deaths associated with malaria is likely to double, due to disruption of the awareness, diagnosis, treatment and prevention campaigns offered to the population of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the cease of the distribution of insecticides, insect repellents, mosquito nets and anti-malarial treatments, as a result of the pandemic COVID-19.
Tecnosaúde, aware of the current scenario in which we live, assumes a position of recognition of the impact that malaria has in Angola and, thus, alerts the community to the importance of surveillance not only of the pandemic COVID-19, but also of other diseases with high incidence in the African continent. It is, therefore, important not to neglect diseases such as malaria at the expense of others.