Gbenga Oloniniran
As the global community commemorate the World Mosquito Day 2024, experts from various African countries on Monday gathered to raise awareness of the differences between dengue and malaria infections.
At the webinar hosted by AMA Academy, in collaboration with Target Malaria, RBM Partnership to End Malaria and African Leaders Malaria Alliance, the expert posited by effectively reducing the burden of malaria and dengue fever by 80 per cent, Africa would significantly boost its Gross Domestic Product.
The programme had the theme: ‘Dengue or Malaria? How to distinguish mosquito-borne diseases.’
The webinar centred on explaining misconceptions, and misinformation about the two diseases, and discovering the innovative, African-led technologies being used in the fight against them.
The introductory speaker and Chief Executive Officer of RBM, Dr Michael Charles, said malaria and related infections had reduced human productivity over the years.
He emphasised that lessening the burden created by malaria and dengue by 80 per cent would increase the continent’s Gross Domestic Product.
Charles said, “On the African continent, mosquitoes continue to cause havoc. We see it when we go to clinics, it’s either malaria or dengue. We see that the women are being affected because their children are in the hospital and they have to stay with them. This is loss of productivity and loss of income.
“We did this study recently where we found out that if we’re able to reduce the malaria burden by 80%, we will have an increase in GDP by 2030. We are calling on journalists to help us in this narrative, to help us to be able to showcase the intersection between mosquito diseases – be it malaria or dengue – together with other intersections – gender, infrastructure, and climate change – we need to do something about it.”
Field Entomology Coordinator, Target Malaria Uganda, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Krystal Birungi, noted that Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting dengue disease while the female anopheles mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting malaria.
“Aedes mosquitoes bite in the daytime unusually biting in the early morning and late afternoon while the anopheles mosquito is a nighttime biter.
“There are around 150 million years of evolution separating Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes,” she added, noting the two species of mosquitoes would never mate with each other.
She noted that Aedes live in or near homes or neighbouring woods and prefer urban areas while Anopheles mosquitoes are generally attracted to dark, sheltered areas for resting during the daytime.
“Malaria and dengue should be distinguished from each other so that adequate preventions and treatments can occur,” adds Krystal.
On his part, a public health physician and co-principal Investigator for Target Malaria, Burkina Faso (Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé), Dr Charles Guissou, harped on the difference between the two diseases.
He noted that common symptoms of dengue include high fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, headache and body aches while malaria symptoms are fever, headache and chills.
He highlighted prevention as a major measure to tackle both diseases.
A medical doctor, and Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance Youth Advisory Council, Dr Phillip Chigiya, also contributed to the deliberations.
World Mosquito Day is commemorated every year on August 20, and it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers posed by mosquito-borne diseases and the ongoing efforts to combat the world’s deadly creatures.
Both malaria and dengue are transmitted by female mosquitoes and cause severe illness in humans.
Because of some similarities, the two diseases, and mosquito species, according to the webinar organisers, are often confused by patients and medical personnel.
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