Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0024530 (malaria)
 44,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Some 9% of deaths in Ghana are attributed to malaria, which also accounts for 30% of outpatient visits and 9% of hospital admissions. A survey conducted in four areas of Ghana revealed that the factors perceived as causing malaria included malnutrition, mosquitos, excessive heat, excessive drinking, flies, fatigue, dirty surroundings, unsafe water, bad air, and poor personal hygiene. Most adolescents had no idea how the disease was spread from person to person. The symptoms most frequently considered to be linked to malaria were yellowing of the eyeballs, chills and shivering, headache, a bitter taste, body weakness, and yellowish urine. Malaria was considered to be the most important disease in the communities of Kojo Ashong, Barekese, Barekuma and Oyereko. There was a widespread understanding that malaria adversely impacted the ability of adults to work and of children to attend school. Herbal preparations for self-medication included liquids for drinking, liquids for use as enemas, and potions for hot fomentation. Most people used the leaves of the neem tree (Adzadi rachta indica) to make such preparations. Most interviewees were aware of chloroquine used in the treatment of malaria. A few people sprayed their rooms with insecticide before going to bed in order to kill mosquitos, while others used repellent coils. Bednets were rarely used. There was little knowledge of how the transmission cycle of the parasite could be broken. One social implication of the disease is that if the breadwinner dies, the children may have to cease attending school. For Africa as a whole the annual economic burden of malaria was $ 0.8 billion in 1987; by 1995 it is expected to be $ 1.7 billion. The first step in any control program should be to educate the people about the cause and treatment of the disease. District assemblies should enact bylaws on the cleanliness of households, which inspectors should enforce.
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PMID:Socioeconomic factors in malaria control. 794 58