World Malaria Day (WMD) is commemorated on 25 April to recognise global efforts to control malaria. With all the high profile news about the Zika virus, it’s easy to forget that Malaria is still the single biggest non-violent killer of human beings.
In 2015, there were 214 million cases, and 438 000 deaths from Malaria
- 3.2 billion (almost half of the world population) are at risk
- In 2015, 97 countries had on-going malaria transmission.
Increased awareness of Malaria and how to combat it has meant that the global malaria mortality rate was reduced by 60% between 2000-2015, saving an estimated 6.2 million lives. This upscale in malaria intervention has proven successful but is still only the tip of the iceberg. For example, US$ 5.1 billion is required each year, double the funding currently available. One child still dies every minute from Malaria.
It is essential therefore that Malaria does not take a back seat to Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya – which of course still require urgent attention – but the good work being done to eradicate Malaria must be sustained.
Travellers must also continue to be vigilant and take adequate precautions when travelling. One thing the Zika crisis has done is to highlight the prevalence and risk associated with any mosquito borne disease, which in itself has meant an new awareness among travellers of the risks associated with travelling to tropical areas and the need to be adequately prepared.
There are several challenges that impede progress to fight malaria. Priceless gains can be lost in a single mosquito season if there is a lack of funding for malaria programmes, education and healthcare. WMD aims to raise awareness of the disease, how to protect yourself and how we can combat it across the world.
Please do all you can to support World Malaria Day, there are many ways you can do this, such as donating through organisations like Malaria no more or ensuring people you know travel safely. Make sure you use a recognised insect repellent such as DEET or PMD (the natural component of incognito®) and follow the C.L.O.A.K rules below. Do reasearch on insect repellent before you travel. As reported by the Foreign Office, in some regions, particularly S.E. Asia, mosquitoes are becoming resistant to DEET, so investigate alternatives. The choice now between chemical and natural repellents is wider than ever before, but there are still only a few that will do the job well. And remember, no spray or plug in will protect you properly throught the whole night, only an impregntated mosquito net will keep you completely safe at night in a malarial area. incognito® (PMD based) repellent spray was born from the urgent need to provide chemical free effective protection and after 10 years of trials and testing is now the most effective natural repellent on the market.
- C – Cover up arms and legs with suitable clothing. Always sleep under an impregnated mosquito net; preferably a long lasting one.
- L – Light coloured clothing is strongly advisable, covering arms and legs as much as possible. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours – they easily bite through clothing.
- O – Odours, bodily or otherwise like perfume, scented soaps, shampoos, etc are strong attractants. So don’t use them! Instead wash with citrusy, repellent products where possible and exfoliate with a loofah; especially if you are a mosquito magnet.
- A – Apply an effective mosquito repellent: either DEET or PMD based if you prefer a natural solution and reapply when necessary.
- K – Keep away from stagnant water or remove it if you can.
In honour of World Malaria Day incognito® are offering 25% off all their products for 25 hours only – starting from 12am on 25th April, ending 1am on 26th Aprul. Use the code WMD25 at www.lessmosquito.com. This includes the incognito spray and roll-on which are both clinically proven to protect against malaria, when used in conjunction with a mosquito net. We also supply long lasting impregnated (LLI) bed nets as well as non-impregnated for disease-free areas.