Approximately twenty-one days after completing the second medication regimen of the six yellow tablets, I realized I was still in the woods. A health labyrinth of diarrhea, weakness, pain, and fatigue, as it were. From which, except for about three days of temporary relief, there seemed to be no outlet. Therefore, I visited another pharmacy, “The God Is King,” Drugstore. I asked the son of the pharmacist, “Does this medication really work? Because I told him that I had Malaria, and he was dispensing the same drug that the previous pharmacy had sold me. His response was, “You have to take it exactly every eight hours.” I paid for it, went home, and faithfully followed the instructions. Only to discover that, like a recurring decimal, my previous experience of futility was merely visited upon me once more. I spoke to my barber who was forced to endure the rigors of Malaria a few times, and I asked him about the efficacy of the local anti-Malaria drug (Lonart – DS). He pointedly told me “Actually, whenever he contracted that dreaded disease he had to visit a local herbalist.”
The use of Medicinal plants to cure various diseases and as supplement has become a known and an acceptable practice all over the world. Apart from this common use of medicinal plants, they also contribute as plant based pharmaceutically active compounds for conventional drug production and towards new drug discovery [1] [2]. In Ghana, there are great economic benefits of medicinal plants use and they are widely recognized all over the country, with about 60% to 70% of the populace estimated to depend directly on it for their primary health care [3]. In most cases of sickness, herbal medicine is the first line of treatment, after which orthodox treatment is sought should the condition persist. This may be as a result of its availability, cost effectiveness and accessibility to majority of the population in Ghana who reside in the rural communities [4] [5]. Medicinal plants such as, Azadirachta indica,Caripa papaya,Mangifera indica,Moringa oleifera,Elaeis guineensis,Hibiscus sabdariffa and others are very common, accessible and readily available to a number of people in the country, on which they depend for treatment of common ailments and their holistic wellbeing. (SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: Medicinal Plant Use In Ghana, March 2022).
I have a friend who is not only a member of The nearby Mormon Church but also works as a pharmacist. I went to his drugstore and while conversing with him he admitted that he had to take the anti-Malaria drug a few times when he came down with that medical condition. Because “It doesn’t seem to be as potent as it needs to be.” Furthermore, he continued, “Most people complain to me that it just doesn’t work.” Sad to say, I had already learned that inconvenient truth from what I had repeatedly gone through. Although I’m not a physician. Based on personal experience, there are several important facts that I have discovered pertinent to the progression of the Malaria disease. Everyone afflicted in this manner should attempt to:
- Drink at least eight glasses of water daily.
- Try and eat three moderate-sized meals daily.
- Try and rest twice daily to replenish your strength.
- Get outside into the fresh air and sunshine for at least 15 minutes each day.
On a more cheerful note, I ran into one of my 14-year-old neighbors this morning. Who had also been down with Malaria for over three weeks? I noticed that she was also sweeping the yard and I inquired about her health condition. She told me that she was fine now. I asked her if she had been taking the local anti-Malaria Medication? She said, “Yes,
but because she was suffering she had to go to the hospital to get an injection.” Maybe I should have tried that course of medical intervention. Although I had previously contemplated the possibility of being vaccinated at one of the local hospitals. Since that procedure was suggested to me by the first pharmacist, I subsequently dismissed the idea from my mind. Primarily because I had run into some injection horror cases locally. Young people who had been injured in some way, or had suffered some form of nerve damage, or paralysis, because of an attempted vaccination that had gone terribly wrong.
By that time I had abandoned the local medication and instead was using a cocktail of Moringa Oleifera and Neem Tree tea. This mixture seemed to be quite potent and after consulting with another herbalist I visited the Village of Brenyekwa since I was feeling considerably better. He introduced me to a tree growing on his property and told me that whenever he feels Malaria symptoms. He boils that bush and drinks a half cup of its tea twice daily. “Within one week, I’m back to my normal self again,” he assured me. All of this sounded excellent to me. Especially since he plucked several stems full of leaves, placed them in my bag, and encouraged me to take them home with me, make tea from this bush and drink it in the proportion he had suggested.
I just couldn’t help reminiscing upon the fact that the local pharmacies gave absolutely no information/instructions about the Malaria Disease. There seemed to be a conspiracy of silence. There were no pamphlets, no brochures, just a complete information blackout. I complained to my Brenyekwa Herbalist about this state of affairs and he observed, “That they were attempting to protect their bottom line.” Having lived in the Western world for several years, I viewed this kind of behavior as nothing less than either gross negligence, criminal malpractice, or both. Recently, I’ve been wondering how it was that I went for two years without contracting Malaria after my return to Ghana in 2019? The explanation is quite simple and straightforward. I burned mosquito coils in my bedroom every night. Apparently, after a period of time, I erroneously concluded that this routine was unnecessary. Big mistake. Mosquito destroyers stunt the insects, and since they are thereby disabled they cannot attack you. Therefore you are relatively safe. The only time you need to worry why lying in your bed at night. Is if you can hear them buzzing around you. If you cannot hear them then you are out of danger.
Although mosquito coils are an important ally in your fight against Malaria, there are many varieties/brands. When making a purchase you need one that is not only effective but will avoid filling your bedroom with too much smoke. Thereby competing with your lungs for the volume of oxygen available in your sanctum sanctorum. If you are fortunate enough to have a bathroom directly connected to your bedroom, that would be an ideal place to locate your mosquito coil. That way you can keep your bedroom door open to ensure that you have an adequate supply of fresh air during your nocturnal hours.
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