Plant-based remedies offer a cheaper option for treating malaria.
Malaria is a serious disease that is caused by the plasmodium parasite, a blood-borne organism. It is mainly transmitted through mosquitoes and is especially prevalent in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Symptoms include vomiting, fever and headache, and if not treated in some patients, death. Although pharmaceutical treatments for malaria exist, they are not always available in areas where they are needed the most. However, there are some natural remedies for the disease that are both cheap and effective.
The Treatment of Malaria
A variety of medications are used to treat malaria. The specific drug depends on the severity of the infection. Quinine is used as both a prevention and a treatment. It is found today in alcoholic mixers such as tonic water, which in turn gave its name to the gin and tonic cocktail enjoyed by the British during their colonization of India. The treatment is still used today, albeit in tablet form. Other treatments include chloroquine, clindamycin, doxycycline and mefloquine.
Traditional Treatments in Madagacar
The Malagasy people have long used a variety of plants in order to treat malaria. These include Agavaceae, in which both the bark and leaves are mixed into a drink, along with the parts of other plants including Nymphaea lotus and Vepris ampody. This treats the symptoms of malaria including muscular aches and tiredness. This treatment is not only used for malaria but also other ailments such as diarrhea, fever and dysentery. Other trees used for this purpose include canallaceae, thymelaeaceae, leguminosae and rutaceae.
Sweet Wormwood
This plant, also known as Aremisisia annua, has been traditionally used in China for the treatment of malaria and has only recently come to be seen as a genuine treatment of malaria worldwide. Recently the plant has been imported to Africa where it now grows domestically. The extract, called ACT, is now used in combination with pharmaceutical drugs in order to treat sufferers in the region.
Outlook
Although little is known about the effectiveness of traditional Malagasy treatments, the extract from the sweet wormwood plant has been shown to produce some significant results in the treatment of malaria. Demand for the sweet wormwood plant has outstripped supply. The plant has thus been seen as a potentially successful method in jump-starting African economies by giving farmers a profitable crop. Efforts are now being put forth to produce a high-yield version of the plant. The sweet wormwood is also seen as an alternative to the more expensive malaria medications produced by pharmaceutical companies.
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