Photo couretsy of Professor David Ferguson
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- The causes, clinical course and keys to prevention of malaria are well understood.
- Patients - particularly in Africa and Asia - are suffering because of inadequate implementation of that knowledge, compounded by increasing drug and insecticide resistance.
- Every day, 2200 children will die of malaria.
- As the malaria parasite invades and destroys the red blood cells, a profound anemia often develops. Severe cases can cause brain swelling and death.
- After being effectively suppressed in many regions of the world, the malaria parasite has re-emerged, stronger and more deadly than before. Today malaria kills more people than it did thirty years ago.
- The mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite live in more than 90 countries occupied by 40% of the world's population. 500 million people become sickened with this parasite every year.
- Once easily treated by the safe and inexpensive drug chloroquine, malaria is rapidly evolving resistant strains that can't be controlled.
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