As the World Malaria Day is celebrated around the Globe with the Theme; Accelerate the fight against malaria for a more equitable world,” People have been advised on measures to avoid malaria and join in the fight against the infection.
Speaking with planet news, a pharmacist in Calabar, the Cross River state capital, Mkpoikana Ukana described malaria as an infection caused by a microorganism transmitted from person to person by the female mosquitoes. According to him, the significance of the celebration is to implement the currently available tools and strategies to reach those who are in need in the western pacific. The medical expert said that malaria is spread when an infected anopheles mosquito bites an individual.
While identifying the symptoms of malaria to include fever, headache, fatigue, diarrhea among others, Ukana advised residents against most herbal treatment, saying that it may result in other related illnesses and also to avoid stagnant water that breeds mosquitoes around their environment. Additionally, he advised residents and citizens of Nigeria to protect themselves from malaria by applying insect repellent to exposed skin and sleeping under an insecticide treated net.