Most Effective Ways To Prevent And Control Malaria

Malaria is an old, still one of the greatest global issues till now. The disease is generally found in tropical and subtropic regions, however, both parasites and mosquitoes can be present anywhere with still water and an unhygienic environment. It's been a long time since scientists and researchers are looking for the best preventive methods, and they have been successful in making a proper one. 

The ABCD approach consists of four elements, awareness, bite prevention, checking and diagnoses. So let’s dig into what this approach is all about! 

Awareness - 

Be aware of your travel and personal health. Check the following key points of awareness before travelling to any place. 

• See if the location you are living in or the location you are travelling to has a risk of malaria infection 

• Check whether you need to take malaria preventive treatments or you have been vaccinated

• Be aware of the things that can result in malaria, keep yourself completely covered and avoid places that have a lack of hygiene or risk of malaria 

It does not matter if you are living in a high-risk malaria location or have been vaccinated. One can still get infected even after immunization. 

Bite Prevention - 

If you are living or travelling to a risk area, it is not completely possible to avoid the disease. But as our elders said prevention is better than cure, here are some preventive methods - 

• Keep gates and windows closed, stay in an enclosed space as much as possible. 

• If it is not possible, use mosquito nets throughout the night, for the younger ones, it is important to keep them safe throughout the day as well.

• Make the use of mosquito repellents with high diethyltoluamide (DEET) frequent, they are available in the form of cream, roll on, bands, sprays 

• Keep yourself covered, avoid shorts, loose fitted clothing or short sleeves, especially during nighttime.  

• Antimalarial medication is also a choice if you are living at high risk. Consult your doctor for better treatment. 

Checking - 

It includes the need for each preventive method, and the amount onto which you need to be cautious as per the location. Check whether you are eligible for Antimalarial medication, and insect repellent. If you are allergic or have side effects due to the medication, seek medical attention immediately. 

Diagnoses - 

This section includes awareness related to the malaria symptoms and self-diagnoses of the signs. It is important to detect the signs before it leads to serious damage.