ABSTRACT
Malaria is a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disorder occurring in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Approximately 40 percent of the world’s population is at risk of malaria. It predominantly affects those living in the poorest countries and causes over 300 million cases of illness and one million deaths every year (see mortality). Of these deaths, 90 percent occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, predominantly among young children who have not yet developed immunity to malaria. Following an episode of severe malaria, children may require emergency blood transfusion or develop brain damage. In older children and adults, the disease causes fewer deaths but is associated with anemia. Chronic anemia leads to intellectual impairment and reduced productivity, and in pregnant women it is associated with perinatal mortality and low birth weight (see also maternal mortality). It is therefore not surprising that malaria slows a nation’s economic growth by 1.3 percent every year in endemic areas.
