Malaria Health Insurance: How to Protect Yourself From These Disease

In recent times, vector-borne diseases like Dengue and Malaria have been on the rise. The diseases, which spread through mosquito bites, affect many people in India, especially in rural locations where the mortality rate is higher than the cities. Before we look at how this disease is spread and what you can do to prevent it, lets us look at some important facts about Malaria:

• Malaria accounts for more than one million deaths in the world
• Nearly 300 to 600 million people get affected by Malaria every year
• About one child dies every two minutes due to Malaria
• About 40% of the world’s population live in the Malaria-prone zones
• India has the 4th highest number of malaria cases and deaths recorded in the world

Malarial bacteria are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. These malaria-causing parasites breed in the liver of the person bitten by the infected mosquito and cause symptoms like headaches, fever, vomiting, muscle pain and body ache, diarrhoea, blood in the stool, fatigue, etc.

The risk of malaria spread is substantially more if you live in the mosquito-prone region. But, you can prevent it with certain precautionary measures, which are discussed below:

• Several doctors and healthcare experts advise people to wear light, and long-sleeved shirts and full pants to keep themselves safe from the mosquito bites. This is important, especially during the night when the deadly, blood-sucking creatures are active. You can also use a mosquito net around the bed, especially for kids, to prevent the bites and subsequently, the disease.
• Another effective way to keep yourself safe from Malaria is to use good quality mosquito repellents. You can use a cream, lotion, or spray of your choice, but make sure that the repellent does not contain any harmful chemicals that may affect your skin. You can also consider using the plug-in vaporisers and mosquito coils as preventive measures.
• Many studies have proved that keeping aromatic plants like mint, basil, lavender, and lemongrass at home, wards off the mosquitoes. The sharp aroma of these plans not only keeps your home malaria-free but also smelling fresh all day.
• Any type of still or stagnated water provides a perfect breeding ground for the malarial-bacteria carrying mosquitoes to thrive. So, if you notice any stagnant pool of water in your home or the vicinity, ensure to immediately clean and recycle it – be it a bowl of water kept for the birds, or flower vases, open drainage, or puddles formed due to rains. These small steps can go a long way in keeping your family safe from Malaria.
• If you notice any symptoms, you must immediately seek medical help and check with the doctor if you need to take malaria prevention medication. Never take any OTC (over the counter drug), always get a prescription from a qualified doctor and finish the course as directed by the doctor.

Even as you take the above-mentioned precautionary measures to prevent Malaria, you are not invincible to the disease. Malaria not only causes physical discomfort and pain, but it can also be financially taxing as the treatment cost may run into a few thousand Rupees. Therefore, it is paramount that you purchase a health insurance policy to get compensation for the expenses incurred on the treatment of the disease. Final Word From prevention to detection and treatment, you can easily defeat Malaria. Ensure that you take the necessary precautionary steps, keep your home and surrounding clean always, and maintain personal hygiene. And, for treatment expenses, you can rely on your health insurance policy to bear the cost.

The information contained herein is generic in nature and is meant for educational purposes only. Nothing here is to be construed as an investment or financial or taxation advice nor to be considered as an invitation or solicitation or advertisement for any financial product. Readers are advised to exercise discretion and should seek independent professional advice prior to making any investment decision in relation to any financial product. Aditya Birla Capital Group is not liable for any decision arising out of the use of this information.