As the stage is set to celebrate the 2023 World Malaria Day, experts have revealed foods to eat to prevent mosquitoes bites. World Malaria Day is an annual event observed on April 25th, to raise awareness about malaria, a serious and often deadly mosquito-borne illness. The day was established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2007 ,to highlight the need for continued investment and action to control and eliminate malaria worldwide. Each year, World Malaria Day focuses on a specific theme related to malaria prevention, control, and treatment.
The theme for 2023 is “Ready to Beat Malaria,” which is aimed to accelerate efforts to reach zero malaria cases and deaths by 2030. There are many scholars who have conducted research and written about mosquito bites and revealed some foods to eat to prevent mosquitoes bite. Dr. Anthony Fauci is a leading infectious disease expert, who has studied and written extensively about mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus. Dr. Janet McAllister is a medical entomologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who studied mosquito-borne illnesses and the effectiveness of mosquito control methods. Dr. Fredros Okumu is a public health entomologist, who studied ways to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses in the sub Saharan Africa.
Dr. Cameron Simmons is a virologist, who studied the transmission of mosquito-borne illnesses and the development of vaccines and treatments while Dr. Duane Gubler is an expert on mosquito-borne illnesses and had conducted research on the epidemiology, prevention, and control of diseases such as dengue fever, Zika virus, and West Nile virus. These are just a few examples of the many scholars, who have studied and written about mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illnesses. The experts stated that while no specific foods can prevent mosquito bites, there are certain foods that may help repel mosquitoes due to their scent or flavour. Here are some examples:
Garlic: Eating garlic or taking garlic supplements may repel mosquitoes due to the pungent odour it releases from the skin.
Citrus: The scent of citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, and grapefruits may also repel mosquitoes.
Spices: Certain spices like cinnamon, peppermint, and cumin may have a repellent effect on mosquitoes.
Herbs: Some herbs like basil, lavender, and rosemary may help repel mosquitoes due to their strong scent.
Chili pepper: Eating spicy foods or adding chili peppers to your meals may also repel mosquitoes.
It is important to note that while these foods may help, to some extent, to repel mosquitos, the suggested and effective ways to prevent mosquito bites is to use insect repellent, wear protective clothing, avoid staying outdoors during peak mosquito hours (dawn and dusk), and keeping our environment clean.
