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The Malaria Epidemic
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- Malaria, one of the world’s most common and serious tropical diseases,
is a protozoal infection transmitted to humans by
mosquitoes.[1]
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- Each year, malaria causes at least one million deaths and an additional
300 to 500 million clinical cases, the majority
of which occur in the world’s poorest countries.
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- More than 41% of the world’s population is at risk of acquiring
malaria, and the proportion increases yearly due
to deteriorating health systems, growing drug and
insecticide resistance, climate change, and war.
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- High-risk groups include children, pregnant women, travelers,
refugees, displaced persons, and labourers entering
endemic areas.[2]
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Impact by Region
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- Malaria is prevalent in a total of 105 countries and territories:
45 countries in WHO’s African Region, 21 in WHO’s
Americas Region, 6 in WHO’s European Region, 14
in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, 9 in WHO’s
South East Asia Region, and 10 in WHO’s Western
Pacific Region.[3]
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- 90% of malaria deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 3,000 people die from
malaria each day in this region, most of them children.[4]
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- Approximately six percent of malaria cases occur in Southern and
Southeast Asia, Mexico, Brazil, Haiti, the Dominican
Republic, Central and South America, Papua New Guinea,
Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands.
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Social, Economic, and Development Impact
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- Malaria increases poverty by significantly reducing productivity
and social stability. Â
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- Rural and poor populations carry the overwhelming burden of malaria
because access to effective treatment is extremely
limited. In rural areas, the infection rates
are highest during the rainy season—a time of intense
agricultural activity. Research indicates that families
affected by malaria clear 60% less crops than other
families. [5]
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- According to 1997 estimates, the total direct and indirect costs
of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa exceed $2 billion.[6]
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Prevention and Care
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- Prompt and effective treatment of malaria, which can reduce death
rates by 50%, should be included in routine child
and maternal health care. Â
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- Insecticide spraying, bednets, and other cost-effective measures
can help prevent malaria.Â
Today only two percent of children in Africa
sleep under a bednet treated with insecticide.
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- In some areas, malaria parasites have developed resistance to
the cheapest and most common drugs used to treat
the disease. However, resistance to treatment can
be delayed by using therapies that combine different
medications.
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- According to the report of the Commission on Macroeconomics and
Health, up to US$2 billion will be needed each year
to achieving the goal of halving the burden of malaria
by 2010. Currently, only US$600 million is being
spent.
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1"Malaria
Fact Sheet," World Health Organization, October 1998.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
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