"Malaria kills 2 children per minute in Africa"

While the world’s eyes are focused on the spread of Avian Flu and HIV/Aids, it seems that one of the world’s biggest killer is slowly being forgotten; Malaria. This parasitic disease, which is spread by mosquitoes, ranks third among major infectious disease threats and is good for 9% of the global disease burden.

Less abstract: Every year Malaria infects between 350 million and 500 million and kills between 1 and 2,7 million people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 90% of the fatalities worldwide occur on the African continent, especially amongst young children. The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that 71% of fatalities in Africa occur amongst children younger than five years of age: “In Africa a child dies every 30 seconds as a result of malaria,” the ICRC says.

Many children who survive severe malaria may suffer from learning impairments or brain damage. Malaria is a major cause of prenatal mortality, low birth weight and maternal anemia amongst pregnant women.

Malaria on the rise

One of the biggest problems concerning Malaria is that the disease is on the rise, despite the pledge of world to intensify the struggle against amongst other malaria. In 2002 191 member states of the United Nations agreed to achieve 8 Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. The sixth goal deals with the fight against HIV Aids and malaria.

There are several reasons why malaria is on the rise. One of them has to do with immunity of malaria parasite to several malaria prophylaxes. Another cause might be rising temperatures. An international team of scientists claims that global warming and malaria prevalence are linked. "Our results do not mean that temperature is the only or the main factor driving the increase in malaria, but that it is one of many factors that should be considered," said theoretical ecologist Mercedes Pascual from the University of Michigan.

Access to treatment

A third reason of the rise of malaria in Africa has to do with that fact that only a few patients have access to effective treatment that could cure them.

One of the main reasons why the world should do a bigger effort in combating Malaria is that 60 children in Africa died while I was writing this article. They died of a disease that is both easy to cure and easy to prevent.


Miriam Mannak / Africa in the News - Cape Town/ South Africa