Malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which is transmitted by mosquitos. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2020, there were 241 million cases and 627,000 deaths worldwide, 94% of cases and 96% of deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Tragically, malaria claims the life of a child under the age of five every minute.
As mosquito habitats have expanded with global warming, people are more likely to contract the malaria parasite. The WHO advises vector control to reduce the number of mosquitos and so lessen the likelihood of mosquito bites, as well as chemoprevention to prevent illness in the absence of an effective vaccine.
