World Mosquito day 2023: Why it is celebrated? Its significance and history
First Published: 20th August, 2023 7:49 IST
The day is celebrated to honour British Doctor Ronald Ross, who in 1897 discovered that female anopheline mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans
Today is World Mosquito Day. Mosquitoes, the tiny, annoying blood sucking insect, are known for spreading malaria, a disease that kills over half a million people every year.
History
The day is celebrated to honour British Doctor Sir Ronald Ross, who in 1897 discovered that female anopheline mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans.
The World Mosquito Day was started by Ross himself to ensure that the world acknowledges the link between mosquitoes and malaria infection.
The day still holds significance as till today we are unable to find a vaccine against this dreadful disease.
Ronald Ross was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902.
Significance
The day is also observed to raise awareness about mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and chikungunya and the life-threatening effects they have on human health.
Malaria and its symptoms
According to the World Health Organization, malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Blood transfusions and contaminated needles may also transmit malaria. The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person. It is mostly found in tropical countries and is preventable and curable.
The symptoms of malaria can be mild or life-threatening.
Mild symptoms may include fever, chills, and headaches. While severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing. Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women, travellers, and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk of severe infection.
Malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and by taking medicines. Treatments can stop mild cases from getting worse.
According to the WHO’s latest reports, the estimated number of malaria deaths in 2021 stands at 6,19,000, compared to 625 000 in 2020. There were 247 million cases of malaria in 2021, compared to 245 million cases in 2020.
There were 13 million more malaria cases and 63 000 more malaria deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–21).
Among the malaria deaths, Africa remains the most affected country, with the region being home to about 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of deaths in 2021.
The four African countries with the highest malaria deaths worldwide include Nigeria (31.3%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.6%), the United Republic of Tanzania (4.1%), and Niger (3.9%).
How to celebrate World Mosquito Day?
The best way to celebrate the day is by creating awareness about malaria. One can also donate to organizations working to fight against malaria outbreaks or raise funds for them.
Apart from this, one can also participate in cleanliness drives, to clean up places where’s there’s stagnant water as it serves as the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi rides bike to Ladakh’s Pangong Lake to celebrate father Rajiv’s birthday
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