25/04/2025
I never truly appreciated the importance of mosquito nets until I lived in Lagos three years ago.
While many see malaria as just another African endemic infection caused by the transmission of Plasmodium species through female Anopheles mosquitoes, the reality is far more serious. Malaria remains one of the leading causes of illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives each year, accounting for over 1,200 deaths worldwide daily.
Malaria doesn't just bring fever and pains; it destroys red blood cells, leading to severe anaemia, and sometimes convulsions especially in children.
For pregnant women, the risks are even more devastating: neonatal jaundice, congenital defects, low birth weight, miscarriages, and even maternal death.
The good news? We are not where we used to be. Advances in treatment, such as artemisinin-based combination therapies, promising vaccine breakthroughs, and widespread use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), are pushing us closer to a malaria-free world. Yet, prevention remains our strongest shield, sleeping under treated nets, eliminating mosquito breeding sites, and ensuring prompt testing and treatment when symptoms appear.
This World Malaria Day 2025, let’s renew our commitment to awareness, prevention, and access to care — because no one should die from a preventable and treatable disease.
Written by : Temitope Adewonbi
