The readings and discussions around the way that things are framed in the media got me to thinking about diseases like HIV and Malaria. When I received my invitation to serve as a health promoter in Peace Corps, I knew instantly that I would be doing HIV related work but I didn't even think about doing malaria related work (or becoming infected) until I did some reading about the country and its major health issues. It turns out, malaria is the #1 killer in Mozambique and is a major threat to a number of countries around the world. Part of me knew this, like I know lots of information that has gone dormant since sixth grade health class, but I, and my fellow PCVs, definitely felt that HIV gets more attention stateside for obvious reasons. The BBC recently reported that malaria cases have reached a 40-year high (something like 1,900 cases) this year. Of course most if not all of these cases are individuals who have traveled to a place where Malaria is endemic. Perhaps that's the reason why malaria (an infectious disease which can kill a person within days of transmission) gets less attention than HIV- endemic vs. epidemic. It's not an issue in the states, so unless we're traveling why would U.S.-Americans worry about it? I can't help but notice that I've seen HIV more often in entertainment than I have seen malaria. Just two weeks ago, my roommate and I were watching "The Cure" which is about a boy with HIV. RENT, of course, is also a widely known rock and roll show which brought attention to HIV. "Philadelphia" was another film that did this on a smaller scale.
"Mary and Martha", which is a BBC film about malaria, was released in March of this year, but I can't think of any other films that are centered around malaria.
It's interesting that you posted about this, Sam. I just had a friend get back from an extended trip in Africa and South East Asia. She was doing a lot of volunteer work in remote areas. She JUST told me about how people in The United States don't understand the implications of Malaria in some countries. Unless they are traveling to an area where the vaccination is required, some don't even know it exists. She even said, when people think Africa they think AIDS, but Malaria seems to be a far larger problem and also easier to prevent.
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