Malaria: A Global Human Threat That Neem Can Fight

In 2016, nearly half of the world’s population was at risk of malaria. There were 216 million cases of malaria in 2016, leading to 445 000 deaths. This dangerous disease remains the major killer in children under 5 years old, taking the life of a child every two minutes.

According to the WHO, the regions of South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific and the Americas are particularly at risk. Malaria can affect everyone, however, infants, pregnant women, patients with HIV/AIDS, non-immune immigrants, mobile populations, and travelers are at higher risk of contracting malaria.

What are the symptoms of malaria?

Malaria is an acute febrile illness. Symptoms usually appear about 10 to 15 days after the infective mosquito bite and can include fever, headaches and chills, which might be mild, making it hard to diagnose the disease. This is especially dangerous given the fact that malaria can progress to severe illness, often leading to death, if not treated within 24 hours.

Children with severe malaria frequently develop symptoms such as severe anemia, respiratory distress in relation to metabolic acidosis, or cerebral malaria which consists of several neurological alterations. In adults, multi-organ involvement is also frequent.

The best treatment is prevention

Malaria is not contagious, only vectors, like mosquitoes, can transmit the disease. If a mosquito bites a person infected with malaria, it can transmit the disease to many other people. Therefore, the best way to avoid being infected with malaria is to make sure to keep away from mosquitos.

Most people resort to mosquito repellents to protect themselves from dangerous mosquito bites, however, these often contain dangerous chemicals that are harmful to your body and the environment. Not only can common repellents result in skin irritations, it has also been proven that DEET, a chemical ingredient used in most mosquito repellents, can result in damage to the brain and other organs, as it is absorbed through the skin and enters the bloodstream.

Luckily, nature is kind enough to offer a natural solution: neem. Using neem as a repellent and mosquito larvicidal has shown to be extremely successful, with tests proving that its effectiveness against mosquitoes and other vector insects is close to 100%, all while being environmentally friendly.