Clean hands stop the spread of infection. Simple habit, real protection, every day.
World Hand Hygiene Day • May 5
Handwashing sounds basic. It is. And it works.
Infections spread through contact. Hands touch surfaces, then faces, then food. That is how sickness moves. Clean hands stop that chain.
In hospitals, this protects patients from added complications. At home, it keeps illness from spreading. In public spaces, it lowers risk for everyone.
This is not about reminders. It is about timing.
Before eating. After using the toilet. After coughing or sneezing. After touching shared surfaces. When you get home.
Use soap and water. Take about twenty seconds. If that is not available, use sanitizer.
No special tools. No complex steps. Just a habit that works.
A mosquito bite still carries a disease many think is gone. Malaria remains active in dozens of countries today.
World Malaria Day • April 25
Malaria is a disease spread by mosquitoes carrying the Plasmodium parasite. One bite can pass it into the bloodstream. It often begins with fever, chills, headache, and weakness. Without early treatment, it can become severe and life-threatening, especially for children and pregnant women.
Some diseases feel like they belong to the past. Malaria is not one of them. As of 2026, it remains active in more than 80 countries and continues to concentrate in the same regions.
The highest burden is in Africa, particularly in:
• Nigeria • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Uganda • Mozambique • Tanzania • Niger • Burkina Faso • Mali • Ghana • Cameroon
Outside Africa, malaria is still present in parts of Asia and the Pacific:
• India • Pakistan • Indonesia • Papua New Guinea
Transmission is linked to rural areas, forests, standing water, and limited access to healthcare. It does not affect entire countries in the same way, but it has not disappeared.
Malaria is preventable and treatable, but only with consistent protection and early care.
• Use insecticide-treated bed nets at night • Apply mosquito repellent and wear protective clothing • Remove or avoid standing water where mosquitoes breed • Seek testing and treatment early when symptoms appear
In high-risk areas, preventive medicines and vaccines are also being used more widely.
Malaria persists where protection is inconsistent and care is delayed. Ending it depends on steady prevention, early diagnosis, and access to treatment.
