At the present rate of population growth, Australia is predicted to be home to 36 million people by mid century, with the capital cities likely to bear the greatest burden of this increase.
In fact, the move from rural areas towards the more populated towns and city centres is a worldwide phenomenon. While those places of high-density living themselves begin to sprawl, there is greater pressure on services such as transport, education and health.
It’s no coincidence, therefore, that this year World Health Day (7 April) focused on urbanisation and health – an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to make cities healthier places to be.
Another WHO sponsored event this month is World Malaria Day (25 April).
Most cities of the Western world are now malaria free. However, that wasn’t always the case. Malaria is one of the oldest diseases in human history. There is some evidence that it plagued populations pretty much throughout the world as far back as 6,000 BCE. As recently as several centuries ago malaria spread from the Arctic town of Archangel in Russia to Argentina and what is now Australia in the southern hemisphere.
According to the WHO Roll Back Malaria website there are now 109 so-called malarious countries in four regions throughout the world – chiefly the tropical and sub-tropical areas of Africa, Asia the Middle East and Latin America.
During the Middle Ages malaria was widespread throughout Europe and the UK. Henry VIII suffered malaria as a young man. Lord Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar had to contend with the fever of malaria as well as his regular bouts of sea sickness. Another sailor of renown, J. F. Kennedy, contracted malaria, apparently while in the Solomon Islands in the 1940s.
Malaria is a life threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Malaria is preventable and curable; but still people die – about 1 million each year – mostly children in Africa.
WHO states that approximately half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria, particularly those living in lower-income countries; but travellers from malaria-free areas to disease “hot spots” are especially vulnerable to the disease.
The English word malaria comes from the Italian expression meaning bad air and the French word for malaria is derived from the Latin for lagoon. So there was early recognition that the disease emanated from swamps, marshes and stagnant water. But it wasn’t until the late 19th century that the role of mosquitoes was identified.
Ancient remedies included the wearing of a large fish tooth to ward off the evil spirits. Later treatments proved more successful. The Peruvian cinchona bark was taken to Rome by Jesuit priests and introduced into England in the 1650s (although suffering badly from malaria, Oliver Cromwell is said to have refused the bark treatment, maybe because of its intensely bitter taste).
Quinine, the active ingredient from cinchona is still used as a treatment today, however, more effective, especially against drug-resistant malaria, are the combination products containing artemisinin, originally extracted from the ancient herb “sweet wormwood”.
Today, except for the occasional case, Australia is malaria free; but for how long? Climate change, population growth and migrating mosquitoes could alter that situation. Scientists in Victoria, Queensland and Papua New Guinea are currently collaborating on the development of malaria vaccine. Meanwhile prevention is the best course of action.
If you’re travelling overseas, check whether anti-malarials are recommended. Be sure to apply insect repellent, cover up after sun-down and use bed-nets at night. No mosquito bite – no malaria.
You can get more information about malaria and other travel health issues from pharmacies providing the Pharmaceutical Society’s Self Care health information. Log onto the website, www.psa.org.au to find the nearest location.
