The malaria-typhoid controversy
Can you relate with this?
If you have grown up in Nigeria, I bet you can relate with the malaria-typhoid controversy.Some people have experienced feeling hot and having a headache at one point or the other and they felt it was Malaria so they went to the pharmacy or (patent medicine store) to get some form of treatment but did not get better after 3 days. However, when they started inquiring from some people they tell them "maybe it's typhoid o, you better go and test for typhoid or just treat typhoid". Most of these people go to private labs and get a widal test and they tell them "oh, so you have typhoid". To cut the long story short. They still treat typhoid and still do not feel good. This cycle continues until they get to see the doctor in the hospital.
Let's set the records straight because you need to stop wasting money and time treating the 'street opinion'.
STOP BELIEVING THE LIE
- Malaria does not cause typhoid.
- The fact that you have treated malaria and still have some symptoms does not mean you have typhoid fever.
- A severe form of malaria is not called typhoid.
- A single Widal test cannot possibly confirm that you have typhoid disease.
THIS IS THE TRUTH:
- Malaria is one disease and typhoid is another disease.
- Malaria and typhoid are not caused by the same agent.
- Malaria is caused by mosquito bite, while typhoid is caused by eating or drinking something that is contaminated with the bacteria causing typhoid.
- Malaria is easy to test by the use of a strip. (just like a simple pregnancy test)
- Chloroquine won't likely cure your malaria in Nigeria. (because the parasite that causes malaria is now mostly resistant to it.
- The recommended treatment for malaria is called ACT (Artemisinin-based combination therapy)
- If you have treated malaria and still have symptoms after 3 days, please see a doctor, It might be something else. Allow your doctor to help you with this.
- You will reduce malaria in your household by sleeping under LLIN (long lasting insecticide treated nets). Buy it, use it as directed.
- Cut the bushes around your house and keep away all water containers/retainers outdoors and you will decrease loads of mosquito around you.
You would be saving yourself some time, money and unnecessary pain by following these simple advice. Malaria and typhoid are not siamese twins, they are often strangers to each other.
I hope you have learnt something new. Please feel free to ask us questions and we will gladly give you a good response.
Please join drshotech.blogspot.com to help educate someone about malaria and help pay for someone's ACT medication for Malaria. It's another April 25, world Malaria day. Let us close the gap as we eradicate malaria in the world.


Enlightening Piece! Weldone. .dml
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