Key facts

Transmission

Mosquito bite
Mosquitoes that spread malaria usually bite at night, between sunset and sunrise

Symptoms

Starts with several days of fever, sometimes with nausea, vomiting and headache, back pain, chills/shaking and muscle pain.
In very severe cases, the patient weakens, becomes unconscious, and suffers from severe lack of iron in the blood (anaemia), and lung and kidney failure.

Prevention

Sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net at night
Use insecticide-treated curtains
Apply indoor residual spraying (IRS)
Give infants and pregnant women intermittent prevention therapy (IPT)
Eliminate mosquito breeding sites by vector control (removing scrub around communities, spraying, etc.)
Social mobilization and behaviour change communication
Use of antimalarial medicines (chemoprophylaxis)

Vulnerable people

Children under five years and pregnant women are more vulnerable to severe illness
People living with HIV
Displaced populations, migrants and travellers that have not been exposed to malaria before

If an epidemic occurs

Rapidly detect and refer suspected cases to health facilities for treatment Early treatment is important especially for children
Increase community-based surveillance
Promote use of antimalarial medicines
Encourage people to sleep at night under an insecticide-treated bed net
Promote indoor residual spraying (IRS)
Promote use of insecticide-treated curtains
Eliminate mosquito breeding sites by vector control (removing scrub around communities, spraying, etc.)

Community-based assessment - questions

Make a map of the community and mark the information you gather on the map. Record other details.

When did people start to fall sick with malaria?
How many people have fallen sick with malaria? Where?
How many people have died? Where?
How many people live in the affected community or area? How many children under five years of age live in the area? How many pregnant women live in the area?
How many people are receiving antimalarial medicines?
Who and where are the vulnerable people? Who is most affected?
How many children and pregnant women sleep under a bed net at night? Are nets hung up and maintained properly? If people are not using nets, why not?
What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs regarding indoor spraying?
How does the community usually remove standing, stagnant water?
Have the authorities established a vector control programme?
Where are the local health facilities and services? (Include traditional or community carers.)
What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick people? When babies and infants are sick, do women continue to breastfeed them?
Is a social mobilization or health promotion programme in place?
Which sources of information do people use most?
Are rumours or is misinformation about malaria spreading in the community?

Volunteer actions

01. Community-based surveillance 02. Community mapping 03. Communicating with the community 04. Community referral to health facilities 05. Volunteer protection and safety 12. Managing fever 19. Psychosocial support 23. Chemoprophylaxis 36. Vector and reservoir control 37. Mosquito nets / bed nets 38. Waste disposal and clean-up campaigns 43. Social mobilization and behaviour change