Malaria Hub: Simple Guide for Everyone

1. What is Malaria and Why It Matters

   Malaria is a serious illness caused by parasites spread by mosquito bites. It makes people very sick with fever, chills, and can even cause death if not treated quickly.
   In 2024, there were about 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths worldwide. Most happen in Africa, especially in young children and pregnant women. Malaria costs families and countries a lot of money in healthcare and lost work.

   2. Who Gets Malaria the Most

• Young children under 5 years old (they get the sickest).

• Pregnant women and their babies.

• People living in poor or remote areas.

• Travelers going to places where malaria is common.

3. How to Stop Mosquitoes from Spreading Malaria

The best ways to protect yourself and your family:

• Sleep under mosquito nets (special long-lasting ones treated with safe insecticide).

• Spray homes with insecticide (called Indoor Residual Spraying).

• Remove standing water where mosquitoes breed.
  Newer nets work even better against mosquitoes that are hard to kill.

4. Protecting Children and Pregnant Women

• For pregnant women: Take special pills (IPTp) during pregnancy to prevent malaria – aim for at least 3 doses.

• For young children in rainy seasons (like in the Sahel region): Give monthly preventive medicine (SMC) to kids aged 3–59 months.

• New help: Malaria vaccines for children! Given with regular baby shots.

5. Malaria Vaccines – A Big New Tool

There are two safe vaccines recommended by WHO: RTS,S and R21.

• They are given to children in countries where malaria is common.

• By 2025, over 24 countries in Africa have started giving these vaccines to millions of kids.

• The vaccines help reduce severe sickness and deaths a lot when used with nets and other protections.

6. Finding and Treating Malaria Quickly

• If someone has fever, test right away with a simple Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT).

• Treat with effective medicines (like ACTs).

• Community health workers can test and treat at home in remote areas.

• For very sick people, give special injection and take to hospital.

7. Good News: Some Countries Are Malaria-Free

More and more places have stopped malaria completely.

• In 2024–2025, countries like Egypt, Cabo Verde, Georgia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste became malaria-free.

• Total now: 47 countries free of malaria!

8. Challenges We Face

• Mosquitoes and parasites becoming resistant to insecticides and medicines.

• Not enough money – we need more funding to buy nets, tests, and medicines.

• Climate change making mosquitoes spread to new areas.

• Wars and moving people make it harder.

9. What Communities Can Do

• Use bed nets every night.

• Teach kids and families about malaria.

• Join community programs for spraying, nets, and vaccines.

• Report fever cases quickly

10. Working Together for a Malaria-Free World

Everyone – governments, communities, and helpers worldwide – needs to keep fighting malaria. With vaccines, better nets, and quick treatment, we can save many lives!

50 Multiple Choice Questions (About malaria prevention – correct answers stated below)

1. Malaria is spread mainly by:
   A) Dirty water
   B) Mosquito bites
   C) Coughing
   D) Sharing food
   Correct: B

2. Who gets malaria the most?
   A) Old people
   B) Young children under 5
   C) Athletes
   D) Office workers
   Correct: B

3. The best way to protect from mosquitoes at night is:
   A) Wearing long clothes
   B) Sleeping under a mosquito net
   C) Eating garlic
   D) Using fans
   Correct: B

4. Pregnant women can prevent malaria by:
   A) Taking special pills during pregnancy
   B) Drinking more water
   C) Eating sweets
   D) Avoiding sun
   Correct: A

5. SMC (preventive medicine) is given to:
   A) Adults only
   B) Young children during rainy season
   C) Pregnant men
   D) Pets
   Correct: B

6. Malaria vaccines are now given to:
   A) Children in many African countries
   B) Only adults
   C) Everyone over 60
   D) No one
   Correct: A

7. If you have fever in a malaria area, you should:
   A) Wait and see
   B) Get tested quickly
   C) Drink tea only
   D) Exercise
   Correct: B

8. Mosquito nets should be used:
   A) Only in winter
   B) Every night
   C) Only during day
   D) Once a week
   Correct: B

9. In 2024, most malaria cases were in:
   A) Europe
   B) Africa
   C) Australia
   D) Antarctica
   Correct: B

10. New malaria vaccines help reduce:
    A) Severe sickness in children
    B) Hair loss
    C) Toothache
    D) Car accidents
    Correct: A

11. Community health workers can:
    A) Test and treat malaria at home
    B) Fly planes
    C) Cook food
    D) Drive cars only
    Correct: A

12. To stop mosquitoes breeding, remove:
    A) Standing water
    B) Trees
    C) Flowers
    D) Birds
    Correct: A

13. Malaria deaths mostly happen to:
    A) Young kids
    B) Teenagers
    C) Rich people
    D) Tall people
    Correct: A

14. Indoor spraying kills:
    A) Mosquitoes inside homes
    B) Birds
    C) Fish
    D) Plants
    Correct: A

15. How many countries are now malaria-free (around 2025)?
    A) 5
    B) 47
    C) 100
    D) 200
    Correct: B

16. Malaria can be prevented with:
    A) Vaccines and nets
    B) Only medicine
    C) Only prayers
    D) Only luck
    Correct: A

17. Rapid tests for malaria are:
    A) Simple and quick
    B) Very expensive machines
    C) Only in big hospitals
    D) Not useful
    Correct: A

18. Climate change can make malaria:
    A) Spread to new places
    B) Disappear
    C) Only affect animals
    D) Sweeter
    Correct: A

19. Some countries recently became malaria-free, like:
    A) Egypt and Cabo Verde
    B) USA and Canada
    C) Mars
    D) Moon
    Correct: A

20. Everyone should help fight malaria by:
    A) Using nets and reporting fevers
    B) Ignoring it
    C) Eating more
    D) Sleeping less
    Correct: A

21. The main treatment for malaria is:
    A) Special combination medicines (ACTs)
    B) Sugar water
    C) Cold drinks
    D) Hot soup
    Correct: A

22. Mosquitoes that spread malaria bite mostly:
    A) At night
    B) Only morning
    C) Never
    D) During lunch
    Correct: A

23. Funding for malaria fight needs to:
    A) Increase
    B) Decrease
    C) Stop
    D) Stay secret
    Correct: A

24. Malaria is curable if:
    A) Treated early
    B) Ignored
    C) Only with herbs
    D) Waited long
    Correct: A

25. New nets are better because they fight:
    A) Resistant mosquitoes
    B) Elephants
    C) Rain
    D) Wind
    Correct: A

26. Children get malaria vaccine with:
    A) Their regular baby shots
    B) School lunch
    C) Birthday cake
    D) Toys
    Correct: A

27. In high malaria areas, aim for mosquito net coverage of:
    A) Almost everyone
    B) Only rich people
    C) No one
    D) Only visitors
    Correct: A

28. Malaria affects poor countries most because of:
    A) Lack of tools and money
    B) Too much rain
    C) Bad food
    D) Loud music
    Correct: A

29. Community talks help:
    A) Teach about malaria prevention
    B) Sing songs only
    C) Dance
    D) Play games
    Correct: A

30. Resistance means:
    A) Medicines or sprays stop working well
    B) People become stronger
    C) Mosquitoes fly faster
    D) Nets become heavier
    Correct: A

31. High burden countries focus on:
    A) Many cases in few countries
    B) Zero cases everywhere
    C) Only cities
    D) Only villages
    Correct: A

32. Testing neighbors after a case is called:
    A) Good community help
    B) Bad idea
    C) Party
    D) Holiday
    Correct: A

33. WHO recommends good tests that find:
    A) Most malaria cases
    B) Only big ones
    C) None
    D) Fake ones
    Correct: A

34. Money from home governments for malaria is:
    A) Important but often low
    B) Too much
    C) Not needed
    D) Secret
    Correct: A

35. Malaria in hospitals can be reduced with:
    A) Quick treatment
    B) Long waits
    C) No medicine
    D) Darkness
    Correct: A

36. New sprays use better chemicals like:
    A) Ones that work longer
    B) Old ones only
    C) Water
    D) Juice
    Correct: A

37. Vaccines are added to:
    A) Baby immunization programs
    B) Adult only
    C) Food
    D) Drinks
    Correct: A

38. Bites per person measure:
    A) How much malaria spreads
    B) Food eaten
    C) Sleep time
    D) Walks
    Correct: A

39. Global plan includes:
    A) Prevention and treatment
    B) Only one thing
    C) Nothing
    D) Games
    Correct: A

40. Many children get preventive medicine in:
    A) Rainy seasons
    B) Dry only
    C) Never
    D) Holidays
    Correct: A

41. To stay malaria-free, prevent:
    A) New cases coming back
    B) Old cases
    C) Rain
    D) Sun
    Correct: A

42. Talking in communities is for:
    A) Changing behavior to prevent malaria
    B) Fun only
    C) Eating
    D) Sleeping
    Correct: A

43. There is a gap in:
    A) Money needed for malaria tools
    B) Too much money
    C) No need
    D) Extra
    Correct: A

44. Checking districts for no malaria is:
    A) Part of elimination
    B) Not important
    C) Only national
    D) Village party
    Correct: A

45. New baits attract and kill:
    A) Adult mosquitoes
    B) Babies
    C) Fish
    D) Birds
    Correct: A

46. WHO malaria report comes out:
    A) Every year
    B) Never
    C) Monthly
    D) Once ever
    Correct: A

47. In low malaria areas, people have:
    A) Less protection from past illness
    B) Strong forever
    C) None
    D) Only kids
    Correct: A

48. Goal is no malaria in many countries by:
    A) Soon
    B) Never
    C) Yesterday
    D) Tomorrow only
    Correct: A

49. Phone tools help with:
    A) Reporting cases
    B) Cooking
    C) Driving
    D) Flying
    Correct: A

50. The fight against malaria needs:
    A) Everyone working together
    B) Only doctors
    C) Only mosquitoes
    D) No one
    Correct: A