| Malaria: Malaria is one of the leading causes of morbility and mortality in the developing world (along with TB, acute respiratory syndrome, diarrhea and HIV). It causes almost as many deaths per annum as teh AIDS death total in the last 15 years. Children are especially vulnerable to malaria. In Afriac, where 80% of malaria cases are treated at home, the disease kills one child in twenty before the age of five. Children are dying at a rate of 4 per minute, 5,000 a day and 35,000 a week. Pregnant women are also especially at risk. In parts of Africa, women are more than four times as likely to suffer clinical attacks of malaria during pregnancy than at other times; but only half as likely to survive bouts of life-threatening illness. When combines with inadequate nutrition, malaria cuases many complications of pregnancy and stillbirths. Treatement and contral have become more difficult with the spread of drug-resistant strains of parasites and insecticide-resistant strains of mosquito vectors. Health education, better case management, better control tools and concerted action are needed to limit the burden of the disease. Information from Malaria Foundation International |
