Introduction
Nearly half of the world's population would be at danger from malaria in 2020. Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest number of cases and fatalities. However, there are also considerable numbers of illnesses and fatalities reported in the WHO regions of South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and the Americas.
In 2020, there were predicted to be 241 million cases of malaria and 627 000 malaria-related fatalities. A disproportionately large amount of the worldwide malaria burden is placed on the WHO African Region. The region accounted for 95% and 96%, respectively, of malaria cases and deaths in 2020.
The most vulnerable age group to malaria is children under 5 years old; in 2020, they made up over 80% of all malaria-related fatalities in the WHO African Region.
Symptoms
Acute febrile sickness, malaria is. Symptoms in a non-immune person typically show up 10–15 days after the infectious mosquito bite. The initial signs of malaria, including fever, headache, and chills, can be subtle and challenging to diagnose. Plasmodium falciparum malaria can progress to a serious illness and cause death if not treated within 24 hours.
Severe anemia, respiratory distress related to metabolic acidosis, cerebral malaria, and other symptoms are typically present in children with severe malaria. Multi-organ failure is also common in adults. People who live in locations where malaria is endemic may develop a partial immunity, allowing infections to go undetected.
Some population groups are much more likely than others to catch malaria and develop severe illness. These include newborns, kids under the age of 5, expectant mothers, HIV/AIDS patients, non-immune migrants, mobile groups, and travelers. Given their unique circumstances, national malaria control programs must take extra precautions to safeguard certain population groups from contracting the disease.
Treatment
Malaria is a disease that can be prevented and treated. Early detection and treatment of malaria decreases illness, averts fatalities, and helps stop transmission. Artemisinin-based combination therapy is the best currently available treatment, particularly for Plasmodium falciparum malaria (ACT). Malaria can also be avoided by taking antimalarial medications.
Chemoprophylaxis, which inhibits the blood stage of malaria infections and consequently prevents malaria illness, can help travelers avoid getting malaria. People should visit their national disease control centers or other organizations offering travel advice before embarking on any trip to a place where malaria is endemic for information regarding the preventive measures that should be taken.
