A baby whose stepmother chopped off his penis when he was just two months old has died. Dauda Buhari had been due to come from his home in Nigeria to the UK for genital transplant surgery.
However, he died in his village of Wada in Nigeria after contracting malaria, the Daily Post of Nigeria reported. Dauda’s penis was sliced off by his then 17-year-old stepmother Bara’atu Rabiu in June 28. She is currently being detained in jailed and has never revealed why she carried out the attack.
Mariam Kolo, the director general of Child’s Right Agency said Dauda had ‘slight malaria which made his temperature to rise and he died even after he had been administered his prescribed drugs’. The baby had needed a number of corrective surgeries after the incident and was due to have treatment in Britain.
But Kolo said his death was not from any complications of surgery. Instead, it has been attributed to the illness, with Kolo noting he was doing well following a number of operations. Sadly, even with the medication he was administered, Buhari's fever continued to rise. He succumbed to the illness shortly after his diagnosis. It is not clear if he had a compromised immune system due to his recent trauma and surgery.
Malaria and the Nigerian child
Nigerian children are at an extremely high risk of contracting malaria. There are 300,000 malaria deaths in Malaria each year. Malaria has also caused a rise in new cases of HIV. Malaria causes anemia, so many malaria patients need blood transfusions. Not all donated blood goes through proper screening. Sub-Saharan Africa makes up 90% of the worldwide cases of Malaria. Nigeria is one of the hardest-hit countries. Malaria is the second leading cause of death in Nigeria, second only to complications of HIV/AIDS. The majority of those who die of malaria are children.
Simple habits that can protect your kid from malaria
- Have your child wear appropriate clothes and footwear at all times. In the rainy season, it is best to make sure your kids wear long sleeves shirts and complete lowers, especially when they are going outdoors in the evenings. Remember, ankles and feet attract mosquitoes.
- Close the doors and windows in your home. Leaving doors and windows open till late in the evening can invite mosquitoes and other insects into your home, increasing the chance of your kids getting malaria. So, if you don't like mesh windows and doors, make it a point to shut all the windows in your home by early evening.
- Remove any collected water. Whether it is rainwater collecting outside your home or bath water inside, empty out any unnecessary, excess water. Dirty, stagnated water is perfect for mosquito breeding. Drain out vases and coolers regularly and keep your surroundings clean.
- Use mosquito repellents. One of the most effective ways to prevent malaria is by using repellents. You can choose from coils, liquid electric and cards, depending on what best suits your home environment. On the other hand, if you are going outdoors, you can opt for a spray or cream to prevent getting bitten.
- Take precautions even if your kid had malaria in the past. It's not true that if you had malaria before, you develop immunity against it and not get it again. Any treatment for this disease protects a person only against that attack and not subsequent episodes. So, continue to safeguard your kids from mosquitoes, even if they had malaria in the past.
Resource: Metro.UK
Also read: 50 positions to heat up the lovemaking between married couples! *NSFW
