What is Malaria?

A survey of responses of people in Lagos, Nigeria

ByRhoda Robinson

I asked different people from I asked different people from different works of life and age different works of life and age groups what they knew about groups what they knew about

malaria and the response I got was malaria and the response I got was definitely NOT what I expected.definitely NOT what I expected.

• Malaria is caused by mosquitoes when they land on your food and you eat the contaminated food you get malaria - Bisi Ajagbe (A local food seller).

• Malaria is a dangerous disease that happens when you don’t take care of yourself and you are very stressed - Michael Chukwuma (A banker).

• Malaria is a disease from mosquito that affect Africa because we don’t have healthy environment - Sadiat Bolarinwa (final year secondary school student)

• Malaria is a disease that you have when you are bitten by a mosquito - Tahir Hassan (A radio presenter).

• Malaria is a disease from mosquito that makes me weak and tired with lots of headache - Mary Adah (Nursing mother).

• Malaria is a disease we get when we are bitten by so many mosquitoes, it can be cured by taking plenty of water - Mustapha Mohammed (Bus driver)

• Malaria is a parasitic disease that is contracted from mosquito bite. – Aisha Zakariya (University Graduate).

• Malaria is a disease that make my body hot and it prevent me from playing with my friends, my mum says it comes to me when too much mosquito bite me.- Gideon Olawunni (Primary school student).

The response shows that though The response shows that though they knew about malaria, and most they knew about malaria, and most confirmed to have suffered from it confirmed to have suffered from it within the last month, they do not within the last month, they do not

understand what malaria is.understand what malaria is.

We can only stop malaria when we We can only stop malaria when we know malaria.know malaria.

Everyone should have the knowledge Everyone should have the knowledge required to prevent and treat required to prevent and treat

malaria.malaria.

THANK YOUTHANK YOU