Today is World Malaria Day and the theme is ‘Zero Malaria Starts With Me.’ Every two minutes, a child dies from malaria…did you know that? What part are you willing to play to help end malaria?

The question for today focuses on malaria in this vulnerable age group.

Q: Good day Doc. My baby is 4 months old. Can she take anti-malaria? Mosquitoes have been biting her face,
A: Thanks for writing in.
When you have a brand new baby, one of the investments (which thankfully does not require a lot of money) you should make is to buy a mosquito net. This protects your very vulnerable baby and prevents malaria which can be quite severe in this age group.
Children become especially vulnerable to malaria at about 3 months of age when the immunity they received from their mothers start to reduce.
First tip is, do not treat your baby at home. Take your baby to the hospital. The doctor needs to confirm that what your baby has is indeed malaria. This involves running a test to check for the presence of malaria parasites.
The treatment of choice is still Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT). Be guided by your doctor for dosage and duration of treatment.
For more on malaria, please click on the link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/…/kill-a-mosquito-with-a-sledg…/
Have a good night, everyone 😀