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Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans

through female Anopheles mosquitoes. Every year, more than half a billion people will contract
malaria, and about 80% of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly half a million people die from
malaria every year, most of them children under the age of five. Unlike many other infectious
diseases, the number of deaths from malaria continues to rise. While there are many programs
designed to increase access to malaria treatment, the best way to reduce the impact of malaria
in Sub-Saharan Africa is to focus on reducing the number of people who contract the disease in
the first place, rather than waiting to treat the disease after people are infected.
There are several drugs available to treat malaria, and many of them work well and save
lives, but malaria eradication programs that focus too much on them and not enough on
prevention have not seen long-term success in Sub-Saharan Africa. A major program to combat
malaria is the WHO Global Malaria Eradication Program. Started in 1955, the program aims to
eliminate malaria in Africa within the next ten years.
Based on previous successful programs in Brazil and the United States, this program is
primarily focused on vector control. This included distributing chloroquine widely and spraying
large amounts of DDT. More than a billion dollars was spent trying to eliminate malaria.
However, the program suffered from many problems and in 1969, the WHO was forced to admit
that the program had not succeeded in eradicating malaria. The number of people in Sub-
Saharan Africa contracting malaria as well as the number of deaths from malaria has actually
increased by more than 10% during the time the program has been active.
One of the main reasons for the failure of such projects is that they set uniform
strategies and policies. By not taking into account variations between governments, geography,
and infrastructure, the program was not as successful as hoped. Sub-Saharan Africa has neither
the money nor the infrastructure to support such complex programs, and they cannot be run as
intended. Most African countries do not have the resources to send all their residents to the
doctor and get vaccinated, nor can they afford to clean up wetlands or other malaria-prone
areas. Spending per person on the continent to eradicate malaria is only a quarter of Brazil's.
Sub-Saharan Africa cannot rely on a plan that requires more money, infrastructure and expertise
than they have.
Additionally, widespread use of chloroquine has created drug-resistant parasites that

now plague Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently,
mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now almost completely ineffective in Sub-
Saharan Africa, with more than 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer and more
expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, further increasing the cost of
malaria treatment for areas that cannot afford it.
Instead of developing plans to treat malaria after infection occurs, programs should
focus on preventing infection from occurring in the first place. This plan is not only cheaper and
more effective, reducing the number of people contracting malaria also reduces lost
work/school days which can further reduce the productivity of the region. One of the cheapest
and most effective ways to prevent malaria is to use insecticide-treated bed nets (KILN). These
mosquito nets provide a protective barrier around the person using them.
While bed nets that are not treated with insecticide are still useful, bed nets that are
treated with insecticide are much more beneficial as they can stop mosquitoes from biting
people through the net, and help reduce the mosquito population in the community, thereby
helping people who don't even have bed nets.
Mosquito nets are also very effective because most mosquito bites occur while the
person is sleeping, so bed nets can drastically reduce the number of infections at night. In fact,
malaria transmission can be reduced by up to 90% in areas that use KILN widely. Because
money is so scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa, the low costs are a huge benefit and the main reason
why this program is so successful.
Mosquito nets cost about $2 to make, can last several years, and can protect two adults.
Studies have shown that, for every 100-1000 bed nets used, one fewer child dies from malaria.
With an estimated 300 million people in Africa not protected by mosquito nets, there is the
potential to save three million lives by spending just a few dollars per person.
Reducing the number of people infected with malaria will also significantly reduce
poverty levels in Africa, thereby improving other aspects of society such as education and
economic levels. Vector control is more effective than treatment strategies because it means
fewer people get sick. When fewer people are sick, the working population as a whole is
stronger because people are not losing their jobs to malaria, nor are they caring for sick
relatives.
Families infected with malaria can usually only harvest 40% of the crops that healthy
families can harvest. Additionally, families with members suffering from malaria spend about a
quarter of their income on treatment, not including the job losses they also face due to the
disease. It is estimated that malaria costs Africa 12 billion USD in lost income every year. A
strong working population creates a stronger economy, which Sub-Saharan Africa desperately
needs.

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ARGUMENTATIVE TEXT

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans

Additionally, widespread use of chloroquine has created drug-resistant parasites that

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