Malaria is a water borne disease. It is spread by a parasite-carrying mosquito. It kills many people and reduces a country's capacity to develop. There are different strategies to combat malaria.
The table below shows a summary of physical and human causes of malaria.
Physical
Human
Temperatures must be between 15-40°C
Houses create areas of shade for the mosquitoes to rest
The presence of the female anopheles mosquito
Global air travel contributes to the spread
Humidity of 60 per cent plus
Settlements provide large populations for blood meals
Stagnant water, eg paddy fields needed to lay larvae
Poor sanitation in shanty towns can contribute to areas of stagnant water
Physical
Temperatures must be between 15-40°C
Human
Houses create areas of shade for the mosquitoes to rest
Physical
The presence of the female anopheles mosquito
Human
Global air travel contributes to the spread
Physical
Humidity of 60 per cent plus
Human
Settlements provide large populations for blood meals
Physical
Stagnant water, eg paddy fields needed to lay larvae
Human
Poor sanitation in shanty towns can contribute to areas of stagnant water
Malaria is spread by the female anopheles mosquito. When an infected mosquito bites a person, the malaria parasite is passed into the human bloodstream, infecting them.
Mosquitoes in turn can pick up the parasite from an infected human and then pass it on when they bite someone else.
Consequences of the presence of malaria
Malaria leads to large numbers of children under five dying. Adults with malaria are too weak to work which leads to a loss of productivity. They may not be able to produce enough food for their family. Therefore they remain poor.
As a result they may not have enough to eat, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to disease. A country's limited resources are used up in health care rather than in education or improving services. This hinders development.
Tourists may be less likely to visit a country with malaria so there is less revenue for the country.
