Malaria

 What is Malaria?

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax – pose the greatest threat

WHO analysis about Malaria

In 2018, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria. Most cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the WHO regions of South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and the Americas also report significant numbers of cases and deaths.

There were an estimated 228 million cases of malaria in 2018, and the estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 405 000. The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2018, the region was home to 93% of malaria cases and 94% of malaria deaths. 

• In 2018, P. falciparum accounted for 99.7% of estimated malaria cases in the WHO African Region 50% of cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region, 71% of cases in the Eastern Mediterranean and 65% in the Western Pacific.
• P. vivax is the predominant parasite in the WHO Region of the Americas, representing 75% of malaria cases.

Children under 5 years of age are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria; in 2018, they accounted for about two thirds of all malaria deaths worldwide.