Spread the Net

What is malaria?

The Problem: Fatal night biters

For many people in Canada, mosquitoes are a symbol of summer: an itchy nuisance at the park or around the camp fire. But for millions of people around the world, mosquitoes are deadly and carry a disease responsible for one million deaths every year.  Imagine having to think about that when you step out into your backyard or go camping.

Certain types of mosquitoes found in many countries transmit a one cell parasite called Plasmodium which causes malaria, a disease of the blood. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly hard hit – suffering from 90% of all malaria fatalities.

The After Bite

Malaria symptoms usually appear about 9 to 14 days after the infectious mosquito bite. Imagine a really bad flu—fever, headache, vomiting and extreme weakness.

If drugs are not accessible or if the parasites are resistant to them, the impact of the infection can be severe: coma, lifelong brain damage, paralysis and even death. The parasites simply take over the body, infecting and destroying red blood cells and clogging the capillaries that carry blood to the brain (cerebral malaria) or other vital organs.

The Impact

Children, with their small bodies and immature immune systems, are particularly vulnerable to severe illness and death.  In fact, every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria.

Malaria is the single biggest killer of African children under the age of five and accounts for one in five of all childhood deaths in Africa.

Malaria in pregnant women can lead to low birth weight, anaemia and a greater risk of death to their newborn babies.

The Solution: Bed Nets & You

Malaria-carrying mosquitoes usually strike at night, between 10pm and 4am. Sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net has been shown to reduce malaria transmission by at least 50 per cent and the mortality of children under five by up to 25 per cent.

A simple solution and a huge impact: 1 Net. 10 Bucks. Save Lives.

Spread the Net and make a difference.