Discussion:
Discuss the impact of malaria on environmental health. Also, give an example of the economic impact this disease has on the developing world and what you feel the role of the United States (specifically, its public health system) has and/or should have in this public health issue.
PLEASE REPLY TO MY CLASSMATE RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE? (A MINIMUM OF 125 WORDS)
CLASSMATE'S POST
Malaria has been around for centuries, but it was not until 1897 that Ronald Ross discovered that the cause of the disease was from mosquitoes and an organism living in their stomachs (Friis, 2012). When someone is infected with the disease, common symptoms include kidney failure which leads to edema, protein in the urine, and elevated cholesterol levels (Friis, 2012). Globally, there are more than one million malaria related deaths annually and more than 300-500 million cases (Friis, 2012). The malaria epidemics around the world were essentially stopped by the passing of a World Health Organization plan in 1955 that allowed for DDT, an insecticide, to be sprayed in order to kill the mosquitoes (Friis, 2012). However, researchers discovered that the use of this chemical was harming some bird species and other wildlife (Friis, 2012). Since then, DDT has been removed and countries only allow for the use of it annually and only inside buildings. The economic impact of this disease is staggering. The overall economic costs incurred due to malaria is twelve billion dollars (Friis, 2012). With that being said, this disease is still a huge public health issue today, especially in developing counties like Africa. The United States should assist these countries in coming up with medical plans that could help eliminate the affects of malaris. For example, the U.S could construct a monthly voluntary team to go over to these developing countries and examine anyone experiencing symptoms of the disease. If someone is showing signs, then the volunteers could administer treatment that has been funded by the government of the U.S and other donations made to the cause as well. Just because malaria is no longer an active issue within the United States, does not mean that it is non-problematic elsewhere.
Reference:
Friis, R. H. (2012). Essentials of environmental health (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.