Malaria is a very serious disease and can end in the loss of life particularly during the raining season. MOMODOU FAAL, AMMREN GAMBIAN COORDINATOR, finds out more about malaria in this interview with Dr Hassan Azadeh- Medical Director of the Foundation For Research on Women's Health, Productivity and the Environment (BAFROW) also A Senior Consultant Obs/Gynecologist.

Q: Dr Azadeh, Is Malaria a serious disease?

DR: Yes, indeed malaria is a very serious disease and is a leading cause of millions of deaths, especially in developing countries including The Gambia. Most deaths occur in particular in young children (ages 2-6). Statistically, in Africa a child dies from malaria disease every 30 seconds.

Q: How is malaria transmitted to humans?
Malaria is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. People with malaria become very sick with high fever, joint pain, headache, dizziness, shaking, chill (flu like symptoms). Also further symptoms may appear as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and can cause anemia, jaundice and finally develop cerebral malaria, which is deathly.

Q: Dr Azadeh what about the transmission of malaria during pregnancy?
Malaria infection during pregnancy can have adverse effects on both mother and the unborn babies including maternal anemia, loss of unborn baby, premature delivery, and incomplete development of foetus and also delivery of low birth weight infants. This is so for women in their first and second pregnancies and women who are HIV positive. Other serious effects of malaria are severe anemia, hemorrhages and miscarriages, cogitate abnormalities, still birth and finally lead to maternal and infant death.

in sub-Saharan Africa, the region hardest bit by malaria, malaria infections are estimated to be at 400,000 cases of severe maternal anemia. Maternal anemia contributes significantly to maternal mortality and morbidity.

Q: Dr Azadeh how can we protect ourselves from mosquito bites?

DR: you and your family can prevent malaria by:
Creating a very clean environment at your home and also outside your compound, possibly spray with available insecticide solutions.
Sleeping under an insecticide treated bed net (ITN). This is a mosquito (bed net) soaked in a solution.
Insecticide bed nets are being used in the Gambia more than 10 years now.

Both research and experience have shown that those nets are effective in preventing mosquito bites and killing other insects in the house. The insecticide treated nets are safe to use; in fact a newborn baby can also sleep under these nets.

Q: Who is qualified to receive an insecticide treated net?

DR. Under the Global Fund, nets brought into the country are distributed in Banjul, Kanifing Municipality and Western Divisions. The groups qualified to receive the nets are pregnant women and children under the age of five. All they need to do is to present their antenatal cards or children's clinic cards.

Q: Where can one receive long lasting nets?
DR: Through the following government health facilities:
Leman Street Health centre, Poly Clinic Banjul, Bakau HealthCentre, SerrekundaHealth centre, Jammeh Foundation Hospital, Fajikunda Health Centre, Banjulinding Health Centre, Brikama Health Centre, Gunjur Health Centre, Sulayman Junkung Hospital in Bwaim.
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Q: What are the advantages of sleeping under ITN nets?

DR: An insecticide treated mosquito net has many advantages over an untreated net and other methods of preventing malaria. The advantages are as follows:
It drives away the mosquitoes (because of its smell).

Leman Street Healthnjul, Bakau Health Centre, Serrekunda Health centre, Jammeh Foundation Hospital, Fajikunda Health Centre, njulinding Health Centre, Brikama Health Centre, Gunjur Health Centre, Sulayman Junkung Hospital in Bwaim.

It kills mosquitoes that come in contact with the mosquito net.
It is a cheaper way of preventing malaria
The net will protect you even if it has holes or tears because of its smell.

A treated net can also protect other people in the room( who do not have a net or whose nets are not treated)
It kills other insects in the bedroom that come in contact with the net.
In conclusion, follow these simple steps to prevent malaria.
Acquire a long lasting net from your nearest government health facility
Hang the net over your bed correctly.
And most importantly, sleep under the net every night and not only during the peak period of malaria season.
All the aforementioned are recommendations of the National Malaria Control Programme.
I strongly recommend to everyone and in particular pregnant women with malaria symptoms and their children to visit the nearest health facility for diagnostic and appropriate treatment before they suffer from serious complications of this deadly disease.