ok, I admit that I'm not very good at this blogging thing...its been a long time since my last entry. I'll try harder :)
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Malaria is endemic in Malawi and a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Malaria alone causes 30% of deaths in children under the age of five. Malaria is even more prevalent in areas surrounding Lake Malawi, Salima (my new home) included. The Salima District Hospital is promoting a campaign to conduct Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in every household within the district to prevent malaria in the upcoming rainy season which begins in January and lasts until April. More than 110 people die of malaria every day, nearly half of them under the age of 18. Below is the WHO report on malaria in Malawi, as of 2008:
Because of the threat of malaria, PC requires all PCVs to take malarial prophylaxis and to sleep under an insecticide treated net (ITN). I’ve been prescribed mephlaquine. Ah, meph…it’s a drug with a long list of side effects including vividly disturbing dreams and insomnia…which is really affecting me during this extremely hot season in Malawi! The other day it was 38C which is the equivalent to 100F…whew, its hot!
My dreams can be described as tame (friends visiting where I'm actually sleep walking to my door to let them in) to really bizarre and scary. I even dreamed there were ants in my bed, started talking in my sleep, and then woke up my friend up with my ramblings of attacking ants. Ok, I'll share one disturbing dream...one day I accidentally bit into a piece of meat on a pizza (fyi, I'm a veg). That very night, I dreamed that I was a cannibal.
Needless to say, I'll be discussing switching medications with the PCMO (PC Medical Officer) the next time I'm in Lilongwe. I just write this blog to A) educate others on malaria in Malawi; B) warn future PCVs about meph; and C) to let my friends and family know that other that nightmares and a few sleepless nights, I'm doing quite well in Malawi. I'm fortunate in that I am able to prevent malaria...malaria would be more unpleasant that a couple of sleepless nights and crazy dreams.
On a good note, PC Malawi is teaming up with PSI/Malawi to distribute 20,000 insecticide treated nets (ITNs) to Malawians before rainy season.
I hear you on the vivid dreams and insomnia. I had one the other night where I found out I had HIV. Now isn't that fun!
ReplyDeleteUpdate: I've now switched to Malarone due to my insomnia and horribly vivid dreams. No more nightmares :)
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