World Mosquito Day
World Mosquito Day (वर्ल्ड मॉस्किटो डे or विश्व मच्छर दिवस in Hindi) is commemorated each year on the 20th of August.
This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of mosquitoes and malaria, and acknowledging the progress that has been made in the fight against mosquitoes, which are termed the world's deadliest creatures, for killing over 7,00,000 people each year.
Why is World Mosquito Day Celebrated on This Day?
On the 20th of August 1897, Sir Ronald Ross, a British doctor, discovered that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit the malarial parasite Plasmodium between humans through their bites.
His groundbreaking discovery laid the foundation for methods of combating malaria by mosquito control. This day is celebrated by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to commemorate this discovery.
What is Malaria?
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the Plasmodium genus that are carried by female Anopheles mosquitoes in their saliva.
The mosquitoes bite humans and introduce the parasites into human blood, from where the parasites travel to the liver, mature, and reproduce.
Malaria can also spread through blood transfusion, sharing needles, and from a mother to the unborn child.
The common symptoms of malaria include:
Fever and chills
Fatigue
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal pain
Muscle or joint pain
Rapid breathing and heart rate
Cough
Anaemia
Malarial mosquitoes are most active between dusk to dawn. Malaria can be prevented by taking steps to avoid mosquito bites.
Prevention includes:
Wearing full-length and full-sleeved clothing to cover your skin against mosquito bites.
Applying mosquito repellents to your skin.
Spraying mosquito repellants on clothing.
Sleeping under mosquito nets (insecticide-treated nets if possible).
Securing the doors and windows of your house with mosquito nets.
Not allowing water to stagnate in and around your house as it provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Malaria is treated with antimalarial drugs that kill the Plasmodium parasite. Different antimalarial drugs target different aspects of the parasite’s biology and life cycle. Hence, the antimalarial drugs are used in combination with each other to remove the parasite from all areas of the body.
Further, scientists are also in the process of developing preventive malarial vaccines but none has yet been approved for general use.
Although malaria is preventable and treatable, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are more than 200 million new cases of malaria and more than one million deaths every year.
Organisations around the world have been working for decades to end malaria and prevent deaths as a result of malaria.
World Mosquito Day 2021
The RBM Partnership to End Malaria (formerly known as Roll Back Malaria) is a platform for organised action against malaria. It was launched in 1998 by WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank for a coordinated global response to malaria.
On World Mosquito Day 2021, the platform is raising awareness about the dangers of mosquitoes and malaria and shining the spotlight on innovations that protect people from mosquitoes.
These innovations include preventive malarial vaccines and the use of genetically modified mosquitoes. The partnership calls for every individual and organisation’s contribution for a malaria-free world.
What Can You Do For World Mosquito Day 2021
The RBM Partnership to End Malaria has called on every individual to do their part in marking World Mosquito Day 2021 by:
Learning about malaria, its prevalence, and preventive steps.
Raising awareness about malaria and the preventive steps to be taken against mosquitoes with your family, friends, and acquaintances.
Joining the conversation about the latest global research on fighting malaria, presented by scientists, researchers, and epidemiologists on social media.
Spreading the word on social media about putting an end to malaria and calling on world leaders for greater action to fight malaria.
Donating to organizations that support communities with malaria prevention and treatment or those that are involved in research on malaria.
Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease but still affects the lives of millions of people globally. It is every individual’s responsibility to contribute to this fight to end malaria.
Do your bit in raising awareness and demanding action against malaria.
References:
1. Endmalaria.org. 2021. World Mosquito Day 2021 | RBM Partnership. [online] Available at: <https://endmalaria.org/world-mosquito-day-2021> [Accessed 16 August 2021].
2. Malaria No More UK. 2021. Help make malaria no more.. [online] Available at: <https://malarianomore.org.uk/> [Accessed 16 August 2021].
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