Interview with Dr. Mubarak
We invited Dr. Mubarak who works at Jeffrey’s Medical Dispensary in Moshi, to learn about malaria treatment. He is an experienced physician and has treated many people. We learned from him that malaria is the number one killer in East Africa. Dr. Mubarak treated Mr. Jones who works as a music teacher in ISM. Mr. Jones had a serious case of malaria. Here is some information we learnt from Dr. Mubarak:
According to Dr. Mubarak every three minutes a child dies of malaria. It is very easy for children under five years old to get malaria. People in Europe, Canada and USA have no immunity. They can get malaria very easily and get really weak when they travel to Tanzania.
Mosquitoes live in humid climates, where there is lots of water and lots of trees. There are three different types of mosquitoes: Aedes/Cuadix, Anopheles, Transmits. When people get malaria they get different symptoms:
These are the most common ones. There are more symptoms than the ones listed. It takes two days to one week before patients start feeling the symptoms of malaria.
The doctor said that mosquito bed nets can be used to prevent malaria. However, some people or tribes in Tanzania cannot use white mosquito nets because in their culture they cover dead people in white. So, their cultural belief is conflicting with prevention of malaria.
Dr. Mubarak’s message was: "Malaria is preventable. If we get together like a big family to fight it, it will be easier to eliminate malaria"
Interview with a researcher Mr.TEUN BOUSEMA.
Mr. Teun is a medical researcher at a Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (a hospital in Moshi-Tanzania). He conducts researches on vaccines for malaria. Mr.Teun visited our class to answer our questions and talk about his malaria research at KCMC. He said that when people get malaria for the first time their immune systems cannot fight it effectively, but the next time when they get malaria their white blood cells learn to fight the parasite. We learned that female parasite (plasmodium) is the one that causes malaria. He also added that people should be vaccinated against malaria to eliminate the parasite, however a 100% effective malaria vaccine has not been discovered yet. A new vaccine named RTSS works only 65% effectively. The fact that malaria parasite changes its physical characteristics constantly makes it challenging to discover the necessary vaccine. He added many scientists in various medical institutions are working on the malaria vaccine and there is a hope that in near future the vaccine will be found. Mr. Teun said that these medical researches are supported by various international organizations and medical institutions. Mr. Teun demonstrated us some samples of malaria parasites through a microscope. Each one of us had a chance to look at the malaria parasites in the microscope. Mr. Teun concluded his interview by saying that the global community should give malaria much more attention, because it is a deadly disease and yet fully preventable.
Malaria parasites. Answering questions Mr. Teun with a mosquito breeding box
Visit of a malaria victim
Mr. Jones is a Music teacher in our school (ISM). He was a victim of malaria, the number one killer disease in East Africa. He was kind enough to come to our class and take an interview that we had set up. Mr. Jones said he was taking anti-malaria tablets called Armeniseni, when he came to Tanzania. After traveling to the coast of Tanzania, he had had a serious case of malaria and his life was in danger. He was taken to the local clinic Jeffery’s Dispensary and he was treated by Dr. Mubarak. The Dr. Mubarak said that Mr. Jones’ case was very serious and it took three weeks to get malaria parasites out of his blood system and another four months for his recuperation. Also, we learned from the doctor that malaria is preventable and people should be cautious about it. Ways of preventing it are mosquito spray, mosquito bed nets, keeping living space clean and let fresh air in. When people feel symptoms of malaria, they should go to doctor immediately, because if it is not treated quickly it can bring sad consequences. Mr. Jones said people should be aware of malaria when they travel to malaria affected zones and take malaria prophylaxis medication and use mosquito repellants. After recovering from the deadly disease Mr. Jones has organized "Cycle for Malaria" project and raised money which was donated to the Jeffrey’s clinic to treat malaria patients who are not able to afford medication. The message of Mr. Jones was let’s fight malaria together and save lives in East Africa.
Mr. Materu is from Materuni village, Moshi and he is a driver at International School Moshi. He spoke us about how malaria affects his village and people.
The village Materuni is located in east Uhuru in the mountainous area. There are about 1500 villagers in the village.
Mr. Materu told us that mosquitoes become active at around four o’clock to midnight. In Materuni in rain season months, which are September to February, the number of mosquitoes increases drastically, hence increases the risk of spread of viral diseases like malaria. Normally the village has a moderate temperature, but when it gets very hot spread of malaria increases as mosquitoes breed faster in warmer climate.
Some villagers died of malaria in recent year; hence the villagers know that malaria is a dreadful disease. Mr.Materu has experienced malaria as well. Mr.Materu told us it feel's cold and the body joints ache. People in Materuni village go to hospital for a check up even at the smallest sign of malaria. In the Materuni village there is a Kyasenic hospital. Mr. Materu says that in his village malaria has not affected children as much as in other places. He explained that often the outbreak of malaria happens when villagers go to coastal areas and come back affected by malaria. Villagers are aware of malaria, that people can get malaria by a mosquito bite. People get some medical treatment at the local clinic. From his interview we had learned that people who live in higher elevations get affected by malaria less than people at coastal areas in Tanzania. Mostly because the conditions that are needed for mosquitoes’ breeding are heat and humidity.
Mr. Materu Explaining to an ISM
ISM students having an interview student
with Mr. Materu
INTERVIEW Dr. Anja
Dr. Anja visited us and we had an interview about malaria with her. She is a pediatrician, which means she is a children’s doctor. Dr. Anja works for the Joint Malaria Programme (JMP) in Tanzania.
She talked many things about malaria; she said that it affects children under age of five in Tanzania the most. Dr Anja assured that malaria is preventable. She said the regions like Central America, South America and Central Asia do not have malaria any longer. So, she would like to see this happening in East Africa as well. Dr Anja suggested using bed nets, mosquito repellants consistently; and also spraying clothes, houses, and gardens to prevent. She informed that doctors should visit villages for blood tests regularly. Moreover, she noted that, the malaria prone regions should be monitored closely. Dr. Anja said that in Tanzania, the areas that are mostly affected by malaria were Korogwe, Muheza, Same and Tanga town. These are also the wettest regions of Tanzania because they receive much rain throughout the wet season.
Dr. Anja said that children were affected most, because their bodies and immune systems are weaker than adults. Their bodies are not capable of fighting malaria virus effectively, so children need more medical help. Because of lack of medical aid, there is a high infant mortality rate due to malaria in Tanzania.
Some of the facts we learned from Dr. Anja were:
Dr. Anja introduced a new malaria detecting kit used to test malaria. Two people in our class volunteered to get a blood test. They did not have malaria.
Taking
the test
It was educational having an interview with Dr Anja. By ISM Team
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