Billions of people in more than 100 countries live with the threat of malaria. In 2008 alone, nearly 1 million deaths were caused by this tropical disease. The majority of casualties were children in Africa. Medications are useful in preventing malaria, but the disease-carrying mosquitoes become immune over time. Around the world, local remedies incorporate nearly 1,300 different plants for treating malaria. Ginger is one of them.
Malaria
Malaria is carried by infected Anopheles mosquitoes, which bite between dusk and dawn. These mosquitoes, called “malaria vectors,” breed in shallow fresh water, such as rice fields, hoof prints and puddles. Some people are more susceptible to malaria than others. Many adults living in malarial areas build immunity over the years. Children are at much higher risk, as they have not had time to build their immunity. The same goes for travelers visiting a malarial area, or for natives who have lived abroad for long periods, then return home to visit.
Ginger
Ginger grows in many parts of the world. The underground stem, or rhizome, is used fresh or dried as a spice and medicine. While it has many uses in folk remedies, its main role seems to be in intestinal troubles. People eat ginger to combat motion sickness and nausea, to decrease gas and to stimulate appetite. Ginger oil can be applied to the skin to treat burns or as a pain reliever.
Ginger as Malaria Treatment
Traditional healers in India, Sri Lanka, Zambia and Nicaragua all use ginger to treat malaria. Ginger is usually taken orally. One folk remedy calls for mixing a piece of ginger with a few raisins in hot water. After it’s cooled, the concoction is given to the patient. A study done by Chinese scientists in the Congo successfully treated malaria with ginger-partitioned moxibustion. The study, as reported in the June issue of the journal "Zhongguo Zhen Jiu," said that out of 42 patients, 31 were cured and eight improved; the treatment failed with three patients. Ginger-partitioned moxibustion is a technique in which ginger is placed between a burning moxa cone and the skin. It’s used to warm the stomach and stop vomiting. Ginger is well known as an anti-emetic, so is widely used to treat the nausea that accompanies malaria.
Cost and Accessibility
Many Western travelers to developing countries have access to malaria prophylactics. But people who live in malarial countries are often poor. Even if they have the funds, staying on anti-malarial drugs for more than a few months can have unpleasant side effects. Distributing drugs to poor people in remote rural areas isn’t always feasible. Herbal medications such as ginger are more accessible, as they can be grown locally at little or no cost.
References
- World Health Organization: Malaria Fact Sheet
- Pubmed: Forty-two Cases of Malaria Treated with Ginger-Partitioned Moxibustion in the Republic of Congo; J. Li; June 2011
- Home Remedies Guide: Malaria
- Malaria Journal: Whole Plant Extracts versus Single Compounds for the Treatment of Malaria: Synergy and Positive Interactions; Philippe Rasoanaivo, et al.; March 15, 2011
- Medline Plus: Ginger
- Beijing Virtual Museum of TCM: Frequently Used Moxibustion Techniques
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