Malaria Facts and the power of a mosquito net

What is Malaria?


Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It was once thought that the disease came from fetid marshes, hence the name mal aria (bad air). In 1880, scientists discovered the real cause of malaria: a one-cell parasite called plasmodium. Later they discovered that the parasite is transmitted from person to person through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito, which requires blood to nurture her eggs.
Malaria Worldwide

3.3 billion people - half the world's population - are at risk of malaria
One million people die each year from malaria
Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria

Malaria in Africa

90% of all malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa
1 in 5 childhood deaths are caused by malaria
Malaria is responsible for a 1.3% growth penalty per year in some African countries
10,000 pregnant women and 200,000 infants die from malaria in Africa
Malaria costs Africa more than $12 billion in lost GDP every year

Source: Roll Back Malaria, President’s Malaria Initiative, The World Health Organization, and Centers for Disease Control and PreventionMosquito Nets