April is World Malaria Month

Malaria has an almost mystical status here in Cameroon. Not many people are aware of what causes malaria or "le palu" as it's normally called. I've heard people complain about bus windows being open, because it lets in malaria more than once. My neighbor has malaria and she told me that it's because her well water isn't good or because she drank bad palm wine. Every cold or head ache can be explained away as a "petit palu."

Recently Malaria No More produced a bilingual song that played all over the radio here in Cameroon. It helps educate people on how to avoid contracting malaria, mostly by the proper use of bed nets. Because there is no vaccine for malaria, so avoiding infection is the only real option. Bed nets are the most effective tool in reducing infection rates, because mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn.

The first time that I saw malaria in action, my host brother in Bafia was sick. Darrel is 8 years old and insanely energetic. I woke up one night, because he was crying for his mother. She was out of town proctoring national exams, so her nephew, John, was there to take care of the house, the fields, Darrel and me. Because John had to take care of Darrel, he wasn't able to go to the fields for several days, which can lead to decreased production. (Darrel took the proper medication and was back to normal after a week or so.)

For subsistence farmers or other people who depend on working every day, the money for medication is hard to come by. They often turn to "pharmacy" stalls in the market for a less expensive and often expired solutions. The cost of lost work productivity and hospital tests and medications can mean the difference between money saved for school fees or to buy more nutritious food at the market. The cost of a malaria blood test is 2000 CFA and the cost of Coartem (the most effective malaria treatment for the strain, P. falciparum, which is most prevalent here in Cameroon) is around 4000CFA.

Jupiter sleeps under a mosquito net every night.

While $12 might not seem like a lot to Americans, 6000CFA is 360 limes, 480 bananas, 60 cups of beans, 10 kilos of sugar, 20 blocks of soap, 6 large bottles of bleach, half a water filter, one-fifth of a year's school fees, 60 moto rides, 12 trips to Bertoua, 30 market bags, 12 meters of fabric, 5 large bottles of oil, 90 eggs, 3 cats, 2 handmade dresses, electricity for 6 months, one month's rent for a room or 240 beignets.




We're all trying to do our part here to help bring the infection rate lower. I'm currently working on developing a year's worth of English lesson plans with a health focus, including malaria infection and prevention.

How will you Stomp Out Malaria in 2014?