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Key practice: Malaria prevention
Sleep under a treated mosquito net
Ensure that pregnant women and children sleep under insecticide treated nets (ITNs) every night.
Have your houses sprayed by authorities.
Why is it important to sleep under a treated mosquito net?
- Malaria is transmitted through the bites of some mosquitoes. Sleeping under an insecticide-treated mosquito net is the best way to prevent mosquito bites.
- Malaria is the most common fever in Uganda and is one of the biggest child killers. Therefore, protect your children and family from Malaria by sleeping under insecticide treated mosquito nets (ITNs) every night.
- Malaria is very dangerous for pregnant women. Wherever malaria is common, pregnant women should prevent malaria by taking antimalarial tablets recommended by a trained health worker and by sleeping under an insecticide-treated mosquito net.
Do you know how to use a moqsuito net?
Here are the dangers of malaria
- Malaria is the most common fever in Uganda and is one of the biggest child killers. Prevent it by sleeping under a treated mosquito net.
- People with malaria get very sick with high fevers, diarrhoea, vomiting, headache, chills and flu-like illness. Especially in children, the disease can worsen rapidly, causing coma and death. Children under 5 years old are most susceptible to malaria because they have very little acquired immunity to resist it.
- Children can become anaemic from malaria and hookworm.
Useful tips on malaria prevention
Did you know the dangers of malaria in pregnancy?
- When you are pregnant, you are more likely to suffer from malaria than other women. This is due to changes in your body that lower your previous level of resistance to Malaria. Malaria can cause severe anaemia (‘thin blood’), miscarriage, premature birth or stillbirth.
- If you have malaria during pregnancy, your baby will most likely be underweight. This makes him/her more vulnerable to infection or death during their first year.
- If you are pregnant, make sure you have Malaria checks during your visits to the health facility and in case of any signs and symptoms of Malaria visit the health facility immediately.
Benefits of using inseticide treated nets
- Sleeping under insecticide treated nets every night helps to control Malaria and Anaemia in children and adults, as well as reducing household expense on treatment and funeral expenses.
- Many lives can be saved by preventing malaria and treating it early.
