One of the main gripes I get from people close to me, especially my mother, is the danger of the trip. More often these concerns stem from the media’s overreporting of war and crimes against humanity. There is no doubt that crazy dictators, rebel groups, religious fanatics and terrorists are a threat and if we are in the wrong place we could wind up kidnapped or shot, but sometimes little things like disease get overlooked. When I think about the journey’s adversities, I am more frieghtened by the idea of getting some mean disease that will make me suffer to death. Since I have the world wide wonder to help me avoid high risk war zones and conflicts, I am moving mosquitos up on the list of unfriendlies.
Today there was a story on the bbc website that allowed the audience to voice there opinions about Malaria, how to fight the spread, and how it affects their communities. I found it interesting that Malaria rates are higher than ever and on the rise and it does not seem to get very much news. Over 100,000 people a year die from Malaria, which pales in comparison to the 3.1 million that died in 2005 from HIV/AIDS. None the less 100,000 is still quite a few people and it is certainly something to think about when mosquito bites are a little more common than the causes of HIV.
According to the WHO, "Up to 30% of malaria deaths in Africa occur in the wake of war, local violence or other emergencies. Malaria deaths often far exceed those caused by the conflict or problem." With that said, have a read of the article, it has some interesting opinions on the subject.
