On its own, pregnancy is risky, as it stretches the body to its last atom of endurance.
Physicians contend that every pregnancy is a risk. It is thus a double whammy when a pregnant woman develops malaria. The World Health Organisation describes malaria as a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes. It is one of the most devastating infectious diseases, killing more than one million people annually. General Practitioner, Dr. Idayat Bello, explains that in order for a pregnant woman’s body to carry a foetus to term, her immunity naturally lowers so as not to fight the unborn baby the way it would fight an infection. “This lowered immunity is what makes pregnant women more susceptible to malaria-causing parasites than the general population. They are more likely to become infected, have a recurrence, or develop severe complications that may lead to death,” Bello says. As for pregnant women who are HIV-positive, malaria can sound a death knell if it is not tackled as an emergency.
 

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