DEPTH STUDY 2 MALARIA

ATAR GEOGRAPHY YEAR 11 UNIT 1 – NATURAL AND ECOLOGICAL HAZARDS

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Introductory Videos

BBC Our World – Living with Malaria (23 mins)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsEwb6GtWZ4

The Malaria Life cycle Explained (7 mins)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoIO-g1hiSo

Online information

World Health Organisation

http://www.who.int/ith/diseases/malaria/en/

http://www.who.int/heli/risks/vectors/malariacontrol/en/

Glossary

Ecological Hazard

A biological or chemical hazard that has the potential to impact adversely on the wellbeing of people or on the environment more generally.

Biological Hazard

A type of natural hazard caused by plants and animals that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans, and usually leads to infectious diseases. Eg Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans such as malaria.

Tropical Disease

Diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by forcing hibernation. Eg Malaria, dengue fever, sleeping sickness.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Geographically, the area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara desert. It consists of all African countries that are fully or partially located south of the Sahara.

Equatorial regions

Regions located in a band around the Equator often in lowland areas that have a climate that is hot and wet all year round.

Parasite

An organism which lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense.

Plasmodium A genus of parasitic microorganisms, many of which cause malaria in their hosts.

Endemic

Natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place Eg malaria is endemic in Papua New Guinea.

Enzootic cycle

Endemic in animals in a particular locality.

Epizootic cycle

Endemic occurring at the same time among an unusually large number of animals in a particular geographic area.

Vector

An organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another. Eg the female anopheles mosquito serves as a vector for the deadly disease Malaria.

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Host

An organism that provides nourishment and shelter for a parasite. Eg The human is the host for the plasmodium parasite that causes malaria in humans.

Anopheles

A type of mosquito which is particularly common in warmer countries and includes the mosquitoes that transmit the malarial parasite to humans.

Gametocytes

The precursor cells to gametes which divide into gametes called spermatocytes (males) and oocytes (female).

Zoonotic Diseases

Diseases transmitted by animals.

What are Ecological Hazards?

Ecological hazards are biological or chemical hazards that have the potential to impact adversely on the wellbeing

of people or on the environment more generally. For example ecological hazards include environmental

diseases/pandemics (toxin-based respiratory ailments, infectious diseases, animal-transmitted diseases and

water-borne diseases) and plant and animal invasions. Malaria is an example of an ecological hazard with

biological origin. Malaria is both an ecological and biological hazard.

To Do - Questions

1. Tropical diseases are described as biological hazards. Explain why they are classified as hazards. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. What is the difference between parasitic, bacterium and viral diseases.

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Nature and Causes of Malaria (pg 62–64)

Terms to understand – plasmodium parasite, anopheles mosquito, Sub-Saharan Africa, gametocytes,

endemic.

What is the life cycle of Malaria?

To do - Draw figure 5.2 from page 63 of Chp 5. Look up and add definitions for all words. Include a title

for your diagram.

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To do – Read page 66 and summarise the information relating to malaria under the following headings

Incubation period –

Symptoms –

Can immunity be developed?

General facts and statistics –

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To Do - Questions

1. Describe in point form the life cycle of the malaria parasite. Suggest ways this cycle may be managed or stopped.

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2. Explain why certain types of diseases are found mainly in tropical regions and not in other climate zones. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Explain the terms vector and host.

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Nature of Risks to be managed (pg 72)

There is a close correlation between poverty and the prevalence of tropical diseases.

Most vulnerable persons in a community are :-

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To Do – Write a list using the headings underneath, with some statistics on the impact of malaria (as

these are the risks that need to be managed).

Loss of property

Loss of life

Impact on physical and mental health (people)

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Spatial and temporal distribution of malaria

Spatial distribution is ___________________________________________________________________

Temporal distribution is _________________________________________________________________

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See malaria powerpoint on Connect for clearer images.

How an understanding of biophysical and human processes can be used to explain the patterns that are identified

Biophysical means ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Human processes means

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To do - Explain how the 3 geographical features of Sub Saharan Africa influence the weather and prevalence of diseases such as malaria (pg 67-68) ie THE GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM EXPERIENCING TROPICAL DISEASES.

1. Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone

2. Congo Basin

3. Rift Valley

Likelihood of Tropical Diseases being present in Australia - MEDC(pg 68)

To do -

1. Summarise the information about Tropical disease in Australia using information from pg 68. 2. Explain what factors account for the presence of tropical diseases in Australia.

SUMMARY OF MALARIA IN AUSTRALIA

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FACTORS THAT ACCOUNT FOR THE PRESENCE OF TROPICAL DISEASE AUSTRALIA.

Magnitude, duration, frequency, probability and scale of spatial impact of malaria (pg 65–68)

List the factors that have contributed to the spread and magnitude of tropical and temperate diseases.

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What are the 2 different meanings of duration when referring to tropical diseases?

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Factors that determine the impact of tropical diseases on people (p66)

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Physical and human factors that explain why some places and people are more vulnerable than others to malaria (pg 69)

Risks of Tropical Diseases are related to their impact on the health of the population

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With flow on effects on the economy and productive capacity of the population.

5 BIOPHYSICAL factors affecting the risk level of Malaria

Factor Explanation

Human factors affecting the risk level of Malaria

Factor Explanation

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The means by which the activities of people can intensify the impacts of malaria (pg 72–73)

- Living conditions - inadequate housing eg

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- Living conditions – overcrowding eg

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- Population growth eg

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- Conflict eg

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- Urbanisation eg

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- Dam construction eg

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- Climate change eg

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The environmental, economic and social impacts of malaria in a developed country such as Australia, compared with Papua New Guinea p72

Economic costs/impacts on individuals Economic costs/impacts on the government

- Purchase of drugs for treating malaria at home

- Travel expenses for travel to and treatment at dispensaries and clinics

- Lost days of work - Lost days of school - Expenses for preventative measures (eg

nets) - Expenses for funerals

Note- Direct costs associated with malaria in Africa estimated to be 12 billion US dollars per year. Cost in lost economic growth more than that!

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Social costs/impacts on individuals

- Lower worker productivity - Lower life expectancy - High individual medical costs - Potential loss of life - Stress on families, grief and trauma

The stakeholders affected by malaria, and their values and viewpoints on recovery and adaptation to future hazards in terms of modifying:

▪ human vulnerability (susceptibility to future loss)

▪ loss burden (cost of loss mitigation and adaptation)

Stakeholder groups range from global organisations through to the local affected communities. They include individuals, government and non-government organisations (NGO’s).

To do - Summarise the role of different organisations/countries in assisting to help with recovery or adaptation from malaria. Use your book p78 and/or complete internet research on the role of the following stakeholders to see how they help with malaria.

STAKEHOLDER ROLE World Health Organisation

Roll Back Malaria Partnership http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/about-rbm/rbm-vision

- - partnership between WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank, in an effort to provide a coordinated global response to the disease

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Australian Government

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

International Red Cross

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Prevention of malaria by treating the host (human) or controlling the vector (mosquito) (pg 69)

To do - Summarise the ways the host and vector can be controlled to reduce the impact of malaria.

Treat the host by….

Control the vector by….

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The sustainability of risk management policies, procedures and practices designed to reduce the impacts of malaria, in the short and long term, through prevention, mitigation and preparedness

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION

- has sustainable development objectives that can-not be achieved with high rates of debilitating illnesses such as malaria, so they must address these illnesses to meet their objectives To do – Summarise the issues related to tropical diseases and sustainability of these practices (pg 76):-

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PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS

Private individuals as well as international organisations are involved in the mitigation of a range of tropical diseases.

To Do - Explain the help provided by the Melinda And Bill Gates Foundation in fighting tropical diseases

(a non-government organisation) pg 71 and internet

To Do - List some other NGO’s that help fight tropical diseases

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To Do - Questions

Environmental sustainability and health (pg 77)

1. What factors have helped to reduce mortality rates in Australia? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What factor contributes to poor health and poor quality of life?

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3. List activities of LEDCs that have the potential to bring about environmental harm and explain how these contribute to the incidence of tropical diseases.

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Particular focus on Papua New Guinea (LEDC)

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NB - Slides on Malaria from GAWA Conference 2016, powerpoint presentation by Dr Brioni Moore