The Role of Language in Combating the Prevalence of Malaria Fever in South-Western Part of Nigeria
1Bello, Yekeen; 2Badru, Surajudeen Adewale; 3Jekayinfa, Oyeyemi Jumoke; 4Aburime, Aminat Ozohu & 5Ojo, Oludare DavidHeavy forest in Nigeria, especially South-Western is characterised by heavy rainfall which inadvertently serves as breeding zone for anopheles mosquitoes, the carrier of malaria fever. Malaria is a disease of the blood transmitted to people by the bite of infected anopheles mosquitoes which feed on human blood. The disease could be caused by any one of the four species referred to as parasite called plasmodium. These four species are P.vivax, P. malariae, P .ovale, and P. falciparum. Malaria could also be contacted by blood transfusion, needles and syringes used for infected patients. Malaria is one of the oldest and most devastating parasitic diseases whose effects on Africans cannot be under estimated. Malaria s responsible for about three million annual mortality rates, with more than $12million USD lost each year to the scourge of malaria. The scourge of malaria fever is very prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world notably Africa, South America, Indian sub-continent, South East Asia, among other areas of the globe. Languages do transfer meaning in a culturally disembodied form; meaning finds place in a world view, a total system in which values, symbols, attitudes and beliefs affect judgment and understanding. Language mirrors tastes and through learning and usage people adapt to these tastes and disposition. Once a language has been well learned and the symbolisms embedded in the language well adapted, it exercises not only an explanatory order on the mind of the users, but also a moral system with an emotional which, to a great extent, sanctions behaviour. Conclusion is therefore drawn from this study that in the African sub-region, especially the South- Western part - Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun and Ogun States of Nigeria that majorly lack sanitation services which consequently serve as major places where mosquitoes, especially malaria-causing mosquitoes duel to multiply in millions. These states of the South-Western part of Nigeria are predominant breeding places of mosquitoes. Given the conclusion, it is recommended that in spite of the fact that the locale of this study is predominantly the breeding places for anopheles mosquitoes, sanitation facilities/services, health education services, stable electricity supply, provision of portable water and drainages among other essential facilities should be provided, among other recommendations.