Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects millions of people every year. The disease is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions in a broad band around the equator including much of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
In 2022, some 249 million cases of malaria worldwide resulted in an estimated 608,000 deaths, with 80 percent being five years old or less. Around 95% of the cases and deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.
Causes Malaria is caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group. It is spread exclusively through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. The mosquito bite introduces the parasites into a person’s blood. The parasites travel to the liver, where they mature and reproduce. When the infected liver cells break down, the parasite releases into the bloodstream where they rapidly invade red blood cells.
Prevention The risk of disease can be reduced by preventing mosquito bites through the use of mosquito nets and insect repellents or with mosquito-control measures such as spraying insecticides and draining standing water.
For individual protection, using mosquito repellent, sleeping under insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying are effective. A clean environment, removing pots, bowls etc that collect rainwater eliminates mosquito larvae by taking away open water sources where they bread.
During pregnancy, medication to prevent malaria: Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (Fansidar) for three or more doses as intermittent preventive therapy.
As of 2023, there are two malaria vaccines, approved for use in children by the WHO: RTS,S and R21. The availability of these malaria vaccines is expected to make broad-scale deployment across Africa possible.
Signs and Symptoms Symptoms usually begin 10 to 15 days after being bitten by an infected Anopheles mosquito. Malaria typically presents with fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death.
In those who have recently survived an infection, reinfection usually causes milder symptoms. This partial resistance disappears over months to years if the person has no continuing exposure to malaria.
Diagnosis Malaria is usually confirmed by the microscopic examination of blood films or by antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDT).
Treatment There are a number of medications that can help prevent or interrupt malaria. Many of these medications are also used in treatment. Simple or uncomplicated malaria may be treated with oral medications. Artemisinin in combination with other antimalarials (known as artemisinin-combination therapy, or ACT) is about 90% effective when used to treat uncomplicated malaria.
For severe malaria, IV artesunate or quinine is first choice of treatment. Treatment of severe malaria also involves supportive measures including the management of high fevers and the seizures that may result from it, and monitoring for poor breathing effort, low blood sugar, and low blood potassium.
Of great concern is the development of resistance to drugs. Resistance to currently available antimalarial drugs has been confirmed in two of the four human malaria parasite species: P. vivax and P. falciparum, the latter causing the most dangerous form of malaria; Malaria tropica.
Read more on the Conventional Treatment of Malaria
Herbal studies on Malaria
Traditional medicines have been used to treat malaria for thousands of years. To date, 1277 plant species from 160 families used to treat malaria or fever have been listed on a database by The Research Initiative on Traditional Antimalarial Methods (RITAM) that was founded in 1999 with the aim of furthering research on traditional medicines for malaria.
Moringa oleifera Africans and Asians make large use of Moringa oleifera for the treatment of malaria. The leaves of this plant are the main parts used in the preparation of herbal medicines. The in vivo antimalarial activity of M. oleifera was confirmed through several studies using polar and nonpolar extracts, fractions obtained from the extracts, infusion, pellets, and oils obtained from this plant and tested in rodents infected plasmodium species.
Despite the scarcity of studies on the antimalarial potential of compounds isolated from M. oleifera, the positive effects against malaria-causing parasites observed in previous studies are likely to correlate with the flavonoids that occur in this species. José Jailson Lima Bezerra, 2023
See more on Moringa
Olon tree As a result of a study conducted from 2011 to 2016, a traditional medicine from the tropical Olon tree, and another species of genus Zanthoxylum, was found to have synergistic compounds that kill both mosquitoes and their plasmodium parasites. phytochemical evidence
Other plants found to have anti-malaria properties (Jeremiah Waweru, Kenya Medical Research Institute) are:
- Azadirachta indica
- Fagaropsis angolensis
- Rhus natalensis
- Zanthoxylum usambarense
- Cissampelos pareira
- Grewia plagiophylla
A literature review on traditional herbal medicines for malaria by Monica Noronha, 2020 lists a great number of plants used traditionally in the treatment of malaria.
Furthermore, of interest in the prevention and or treatment of malaria are:
Parkia biglobosa (African locust bean / Netto)
Various parts of the locust bean tree are used for medicinal and food purposes. As a standing tree, locust bean may have a positive effect on the yield of other nearby crops.
Indigenous healers in Africa use different parts of the locust bean tree for health benefits. In a survey conducted on healers in Togo, Parkia biglobosa was one of the highest cited plants used for treating hypertension and wound-healing.
In a survey conducted in Guinea relating to their use of antimalarial plants, Parkia biglobosa was cited among those most often successfully used.
Senna ocidentalis (Coffee Senna / Kassala / Mbantamare)
Senna occidentalis has been used worldwide in traditional treatment of many diseases and conditions including snakebite. In Kenya, a decoction from the plant roots taken orally, is used as a cure for malaria. Several studies have demonstrated that extracts from the plant possess antiplasmodial activity, in vitro. Simeon Mogaka et al in 2023 demonstrated the antiplasmodial activity of Senna occidentalis roots extract in vitro, and in mice.
Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter leaves / Doctor)
Studies have found bitter leaf to be a cheap and effective treatment for malaria. One animal study found that bitter leaf extract exhibited significant antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium berghei – a species of the malaria parasite. Another study found that active compounds (sesquiterpene lactones) in bitter leaf showed significant activity against Plasmodium falciparum. However, more human studies are needed to determine the exact mechanism of action.
Cassia Siberiana ( Drum stick tree / Sinjango)
Cassia sieberiana is used to make tools, pestles, mortars, and also used for construction because it is a very hard wood that is resistant to termites. Parts of the plant have also been used traditionally as teeth cleaning twigs.
Cassia sieberiana, mostly found in Africa has been used in traditional medicine as purgative, diuretic, analgesic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory agent and many others for decades. Both the root and stem bark might explored for the treatment of malaria due to its anti-plasmodia activity Arher et al 2019
Papaya leaves
Papaya leaves have been traditionally used in some cultures as a remedy for malaria. People often make tea from the leaves, believing it can help protect against the disease.