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Symptoms

• . In 2015, the region was home to 88% of malaria cases and 90% of malaria

deaths.

• Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused b !arasites that are transmitted to

!eo!le through the bites of

• P. vivax  is the dominant malaria !arasite in most countries outside of sub-"aharan

#frica.

•

i

ncidence among !o!ulations at ris$ the rate of new cases& fell b '(% globall. In thatsame !eriod, malaria death rates among !o!ulations

)malaria *ectors.) +here are 5 !arasite s!ecies that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of

these s!ecies P. falciparum and P. vivax   !ose the greatest threat.

• P. falciparum is the most !re*alent malaria !arasite on the #frican continent. It is

res!onsible for most malaria-related deaths

malaria freuentl de*elo! one or more of the following sm!toms se*ere anaemia,res!irator

#ccording to the latest / estimates, released in ecember 2015, there were 213

million cases of malaria in 2015 and 3'8 000 deaths.

4etween 2000 and 2015, malaria incidence among !o!ulations at ris$ fell b '(%

globall during the same !eriod, malaria mortalit rates among !o!ulations at ris$

decreased b 60%. #n estimated 6.2 million malaria deaths ha*e been a*erted globall

since 2001.

"ub-"aharan #frica continues to carr a dis!ro!ortionatel high share of the global

malaria burden. In 2015, the region was home to 88% of malaria cases and 90% of

malaria deaths.

"ome 15 countries mainl in sub-"aharan #frica account for 80% of malaria cases and(8% deaths globall. "ince 2000, the decline in malaria incidence in these 15 countries

'2%& has lagged behind that of other countries globall 5'%&.

In areas with high transmission of malaria, children under 5 are !articularl susce!tible to

infection, illness and death more than two thirds (0%& of all malaria deaths occur in this

age grou!. 4etween 2000 and 2015, the under-5 malaria death rate fell b 65% globall,

translating into an estimated 5.9 million child li*es sa*ed between 2001 and 2015.

Transmission

In most cases, malaria is transmitted through the bites of female Anophelesmosuitoes.

 +here are more than 300 di7erent s!ecies of Anopheles mosuito around '0 are malaria

*ectors of maor im!ortance. #ll of the im!ortant *ector s!ecies bite between dus$ and

dawn. +he intensit of transmission de!ends on factors related to the !arasite, the*ector, the human host, and the en*ironment.

 Anopheles mosuitoes la their eggs in water, which hatch into lar*ae, e*entuall

emerging as adult mosuitoes. +he female mosuitoes see$ a blood meal to nurture their

eggs. ach s!ecies of Anopheles mosuito has its own !referred auatic habitat for

e:am!le, some !refer small, shallow collections of fresh water, such as !uddles and hoof

!rints, which are abundant during the rain season in tro!ical countries.

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 +ransmission is more intense in !laces where the mosuito lifes!an is longer so that the

!arasite has time to com!lete its de*elo!ment inside the mosuito& and where it !refers

to bite humans rather than other animals. +he long lifes!an and strong human-biting

habit of the #frican *ector s!ecies is the main reason wh nearl 90% of the world;s

malaria cases are in #frica.

 +ransmission also de!ends on climatic conditions that ma a7ect the number and sur*i*al

of mosuitoes, such as rainfall !atterns, tem!erature and humidit. In man !laces,

transmission is seasonal, with the !ea$ during and ust after the rain season. Malaria

e!idemics can occur when climate and other conditions suddenl fa*our transmission in

areas where !eo!le ha*e little or no immunit to malaria. +he can also occur when

!eo!le with low immunit mo*e into areas with intense malaria transmission, for instance

to or this reason, most malaria deaths in #frica

occur in oung children, whereas in areas with less transmission and low immunit, all

age grou!s are at ris$.