You feel feverish, cold and have lost appetite for food. You know you’re sick. But you must give a name to this sickness.

So, like a genius, the lightbulb comes up in your head and you conclude it must be Malaria. That disease is so easy to diagnose, you think. And so easy to treat. Without thinking, you take a quick trip to Oga Chinedu’s chemist and ask him for ‘malaria medicine’.

But wait a minute. What do you really know about Malaria?

Did you know that half of the world’s population is at risk of this disease? That’s how big a deal it is. In 2015, there were roughly 212 million Malaria cases and an estimated 429,000 resultant deaths.

Among those at high risk of this disease are pregnant women and children. As always, prevention is better than cure. It is necessary that you understand the risks of this illness and make adequate efforts to prevent it.

According to facts published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Malaria is the cause of spontaneous abortion, premature delivery, stillbirth, and severe maternal anaemia. This fact sheet also reveals that children under five are particularly prone to infection, illness and death. Scary, right? But hey, facts don’t lie.

How well do you protect yourself and children from Malaria?

Now, don’t just move along believing that Malaria is ‘easy’ to cure. Stop and think about how it weakens your immune system and that of your child(ren). When your immune system is weak, your body is open to other types of infection like typhoid and the likes.

Diseases and death can be reduced by proper diagnosis and treatment of Malaria. Knowledge about these preventive, diagnostic and treatment measures is vital.

Tune in to the ARM Living benefits show this Wednesday on Smooth FM 98.1 from 6.40pm to 6.55pm for an in-depth talk on dealing with Malaria

You don’t want to miss it!