ABSTRACT
Malaria is a major cause of illness and death worldwide. About 2.4 billion people are at risk of contracting the disease; malaria is currently endemic in 92 countries, and pockets of malaria transmission exist in 8 additional countries (WHO 1997). There are 300–500 million clinical cases of malaria, more than 90% of which occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Worldwide, malaria accounts for about 2 million deaths per year, and the majority of these deaths are of children under five years of age. Of all infectious diseases, malaria continues to be one of the biggest contributors to the global disease burden in terms of death and suffering.
