Real Life Stories
GhanaShoshana Court
In January, when I came to Sekondi/Takoradi on the West Coast of Ghana, I was so excited! I was about to start my first job straight after my Masters and it was in Africa working in development – my dream since I was a child.
I knew very well the serious threat that malaria posed to tourists, aid workers and of course the entire population of Ghana as I had done a short internship with Malaria No More UK and I also wrote my Masters thesis on malaria, plus my father is a malaria policy advisor.
Before arriving in Ghana I talked with my father and doctor about the best anti-malaria prophylactic to take for a year. I took one for three months but I thought it was making me feel unwell so decided not to take it anymore. Instead I just kept sleeping under a net, wearing long sleeved shirts and trousers most of the time and repellent became, and still is, my daily (and nightly) perfume.
I knew very well the serious threat that malaria posed to tourists, aid workers and of course the entire population of Ghana
In June, I had finally moved in to my new apartment! I was so busy at work I had not yet hung my treated net over my bed. I know it should have been a top priority but I figured as all the windows and doors were covered, it was not urgent. But one weekend in late June I began to feel ill. I slept for twenty hours and had vomiting and diarrhoea. I didn’t think it was too serious but my Ghanaian boyfriend knew otherwise so I went straight to hospital.
One blood test confirmed I had malaria. I was given some medicine (an ACT), an antibiotic, painkillers and joint ache relievers. I was so sick I couldn’t do simple things like even hold a conversation. It took two weeks to fully recover. As soon as I got home I asked a friend to help me hang my mosquito net over the bed and I continued to sleep under it.
Then in August I got sick again. I collapsed, had a fever and cold shaky sweats. I had to go into hospital to get an emergency drip, medicine and get tested for the malaria parasite. As soon as I got home and the effects of the drip had worn off, it hit me and it hit me hard. I could barely get out of bed. Every muscle in my body ached in a way I had never felt before. My head was pounding. I had hot and cold flushes. I was drinking about six litres of water a day just to keep hydrated.
This time the doctors prescribed Coartem (from Novartis). A three day course (four pills taken twice daily) that has to be taken with meals. It works wonders but fighting malaria meant forcing myself to eat in order to take the medication and my whole body continued to ache. I took two and half weeks to get better. Even if you feel well you have to rest because the minute you do something strenuous the aches start all over again.
Now, one month after it all started, I can manage half a day’s work and am taking things slowly. I hope this is the last bout of malaria I get before my contract is up in December. I now have a true appreciation for the severity of this disease and how important it is to protect yourself and go to a doctor if you feel sick. I am not exactly the smallest person and I’m an adult, so I can only imagine how horrible it must be for a child and just why they suffer so much.
More real life stories
-
Geoffrey Baines
I just happened to be checking out Twitter one day at the time when a tweet from the author, Seth Godin, appeared encouraging people to buy a couple of copies of the book End Malaria – one to read and one to give away.
-
-
Baker Hughes IT Team
Eight members of the Baker Hughes IT team completed the UK Three Peaks Challenge over the weekend of 6/7 August
-
Sarah from Surrey
I saw the footage on Sport Relief of how malaria affects communities and families across Africa. I was shocked to see so many children being rushed to hospital because of malaria, and sadly how many of those died because of it.
-
Rob Henchoz
My friend Richard Atherton and I are keen car enthusiasts and rally drivers. We decided to raise money for Malaria No More UK because having lived in Angola and worked on the West coast of Africa we saw the effects of malaria on both locals and expats. The aim to eliminate the disease is clearly achievable with some financial commitment.
-
Tesco Global Finance Directors
In early 2010, Tesco Global Finance Directors elected Malaria No More UK as their nominated charity leading to twelve months of fundraising activity across the globe.
-
Mamas Otsieditse and Amos
If you are a volunteer health worker in Botswana, you’re also a life saver. ‘Mamas’ Otsieditse and Amos volunteer in their local community to raise vital awareness about the life threatening dangers of malaria and how to prevent it.
-
Talata Mohammed
Working mum Talata Mohammed lives in central Ghana’s Ashanti region with her family including three adults and four children ages one, two, five and 10. Talata is a farmer and earns her living from crops she grows and sells locally.
-
Joanna Awuku Gyan
Community Nurse Joanna works on the frontline fighting malaria in Ghana, where malaria claims more lives of young children than any other single disease.
-
Mallam Nasiru Abdullai, Deputy Imam of Dromankuma Central Mosque
Mallam Abdullai is the Deputy Imam of a mosque in Dromankuma, Ghana, where the whole population is at risk of malaria. Mallam told us about the important role the Mosque has played as a source of information about malaria.
-
Queen Mother Mana Afua Fionkobei
Community figurehead Mana is married to the Chief of Apenten Village and known as the ‘Queen Mother’.
-
Marta Phillemon
Marta is a young Mum and lives with her family of five in Namibia. Their rural home setting means they are some of the most remote and hardest to reach communities with little access to malaria prevention and treatment support.
