As per the World Health Organisation, around 3% of the world’s malaria burden is represented by India. Caused by parasites that are transferred through the female mosquito-Anopheles, malaria is considered to be a life-threatening disease. Though preventable and treatable, malaria often brings physical, mental, and financial discomfort.
Averting a vector-borne disease such as malaria may not always be possible, however, the best way to be prepared for such a medical urgency is to have the protection of a health insurance plan. Your regular health insurance policy may cover the hospitalisation expenses if you suffer from malaria, but if you live in an area where a mosquito menace exists, it is best suggested that you opt for a malaria-specific health insurance plan. But before we dig into health insurance for malaria, let us know a little more in detail about the dangers that this disease comes with.
As a matter of fact, the root cause behind malaria is the plasmodium parasites. Simply put, malaria is caused by these plasmodium parasites that are carried by female anopheles mosquitoes.
Malaria parasites can be spread by anopheles only and the disease is not contagious. In other terms, malaria cannot spread from individual to individual. However, malaria can spread by:
It takes almost 10-15 days to watch the malaria symptoms precisely. Typically, after two weeks, the person expecting to be infected with malaria starts sweating and experiencing high fever. Some other malaria symptoms include:
Let us now try to understand the transmission of malaria, also called the malaria life cycle. The process begins when the female anopheles drinks the blood (containing parasites) and bite a person who is suffering from malaria. Immediately, when the mosquito goes on to bite another person (non-infected), it transfers the parasite/infected blood into the second person. Ideally, this is how malaria spreads.
Upon entering the body, these parasites travel down to the liver where they start multiplying and harming the RBCs that carry oxygen. Consequently, they start laying eggs inside the liver. When they mature, these parasites leave the liver, start moving down to the bloodstreams, thus releasing more parasites into the RBCs. Eventually, they attack the human body further making the person intensely sick.
If you reside in an area that is prone to malaria, make sure you take strict precautions to avoid every possible mosquito bite. To reduce the risks of getting malaria, you must:
Alongside, if you are about to travel to an area where every second person is infected with malaria, ensure to talk to your provider about the prevention of malaria. Don't forget to take proper antimalarial medications to prevent damage.
These plans are generally fixed benefit plans that offer you the sum insured as a lump sum when you are diagnosed with malaria or when you have been prescribed hospitalisation for the same. To help you choose the right policy, given below is the list of a few of the best health insurance plans to cover malaria:
| Name of the Plan | Best Features |
|---|---|
| Bajaj Allianz M-Care Health Insurance |
This policy is available on a family floater as well as an individual policy You have the facility of cashless treatment Lifetime renewability is available Sum insured ranges from INR 10,000 to INR 75,000 |
| Future Generali Future Vector Care Plan |
In all the plan covers 7 illnesses Get a lump sum benefit in case of any of the listed illnesses You can purchase this policy for 3 years Different sum insured options: INR 10,000, INR 25,000, INR 50,000, INR 75,000 |
| Contnent R2C1 |
Policy offers coverage for 7 vector-borne diseases including malaria Lump sum payment in case of hospitalisation over 48 hours High sum insured of INR 1 lakh You can purchase this as a family health plan |
| Federal Bank Mosquito Disease Protection Policy |
Apart from malaria, this policy covers 6 other diseases Benefit amount of INR 20,000 in case hospitalisation of 24 hours or more No pre-policy screening needed Sum insured can be reinstated |
A disease like malaria not only causes mental and physical discomfort but can also bite a big chunk out of your savings. In such a scenario, having a health insurance policy will not only help you deal with the high-cost treatment but also give you the peace of mind that even if you are infected by such a dangerous disease, you will have the resources to fight it. Let us take a look at the benefits of health insurance for Malaria:
What is included in your health insurance policy for Malaria is based on the features offered by your specific policy and the insurance company’s rules. Given below are some of the most common inclusions in Inclusions in a health insurance policy for Malaria. It is suggested that you check the policy documents and then decide:
Keep in mind that the following will not be covered in a health insurance policy for Malaria:
Usually, the symptoms occur in a 48-hour cycle in some types of Malaria. At this stage, patients start getting shivers followed by a high temperature, severe sweating and fatigue. It can last around 6-12 hours.
The Five types of plasmodium parasites that harm humans and cause malaria are:
RTS, S (world's first malaria vaccine) is under trials and tests in Ghana, Malawi, and Kenya since 2018. Unfortunately, it is not available yet. Despite decades of research, no anti-malarial vaccines are available commercially. The complexity of the plasmodium parasite makes it cumbersome for researchers to come up with the vaccine.
Malaria is neither a virus nor a bacteria. Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite (plasmodium) that is spread through infected mosquito bites containing parasites. The disease spreads when the female anopheles transfers the blood meal (parasite) from an infected person to a healthy person through bites.
