In my LinkedIn feed this week there was a posting by Nigerian pharmacy assistant Precious Ugwa about undiagnosed customers requesting malaria treatments. This reminded me of the impression I got in Kenya that when people are ill, the first illness they suspect is malaria. One time when I was unwell my friend was encouraging me to go to a hospital. I refused to go immediately, but did agree to go in a day or two if my health did not improve. I fasted and drank plenty of water and quickly recovered.
If I had gone to the hospital, no matter what the symptoms were, I know the first thing I would be tested for is malaria. Possibly by a microscopic examination of my blood, but more likely using a RDT (rapid diagnostic test). And the result would a lottery, not unlike the COVID19 testing that was so common in 2020. I did not think that a course of artesunate injections and a follow up course of tablets, probably another artemisinin combination therapy was going to do anything good for me.
It struck me that in countries with malaria, many people think of malaria in the same way as ‘the flu’, ‘a bug’, ‘a virus’, (or COVID19 in 2020-2022), are thought of in western countries. And many people suffering from such a self-diagnosed malady will go to a pharmacy to buy various treatments. In many cases they will try their best to get anti-biotics, convinced that these potent pills are needed for their condition even though doctors will always say they don’t work on viruses.
Of course, it is doubtful that any of these treatments will cure their illness, but the power of the placebo effect and suppression of symptoms may convince them that it has.
Illness is nearly always caused by lifestyle factors. Malnutrition, both lack of food and too much of the wrong foods and drinks, lack of sleep, lack of sunshine and fresh air, stress from workplace and personal problems. People get generic symptoms – fever, headaches, other pains and aches, vomiting, diarrhoea, tiredness, etc, and are convinced that they caught a bug or malaria. Perhaps a test will confirm this diagnosis.
But the best cure is to get rid of whatever lifestyle factor caused the issue in the first place. Fasting and water are good for too much of the wrong food. Rest and relaxation will help in most cases. Unfortunately, most serious malaria cases are malnourished and may not have access to safe water. Their serious illness is a result of their poverty so a quick cure is less likely.