Wikpedia: Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, Malaria parasites are transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. The parasites multiply within red blood cells, causing symptoms that include symptoms of anemia (light headedness, shortness of breath, tachycardia etc.), as well as other general symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, flu-like illness, and in severe cases, coma and death.
The anti-Malaria pills do no good sitting in the medicine chest.... My "it wont happen to me" attitude regarding Malaria changed quickly after my blood test results at the Kavieng Hospital. I had been suffering from severe headaches and fever for about seven days. Being on a guest trip I worked through it popping Advil like M&M's. This is not to sound macho, the truth is I had no idea why I had the headaches and fever and I had no where to go to get it checked out until, the guest trip ended in Kavieng.
The Kavieng hospital is a whole other story in itself. A very basic facility tending to everything you can imagine. I was very concerned with leaving with more than I came in with. A few days later Lisa and I visited the Hospital and handed out some toys and small stuffed animals in the Pediatric ward. This was very uplifting for the kids in the ward, with not enough beds or doctors...
After a week of various medications to kill the parasite in my blood I was coming back to life and regaining my strength. Moral of the story, Malaria pills in the medicine cabinet are like a life jacket in the bottom of the boat...they do no good unless you use them....
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