Malaria

Question 1

According to the WHO, how many people are estimated to be living in areas at risk of malaria transmission?

Answer 1

3.4 billion people, in 106 countries.

Question 2

How many cases of malaria were recorded in 2013, and how many people died as a result?

Answer 2

198 million, which killed around 584,000 people.

Question 3

What part of the world contains the highest concentration of malaria cases?

Answer 3

Sub-Saharan Africa, where 82% of cases and 90% of deaths occurred in 2013.

Question 4

Which demographics are the most affected by malaria?

Answer 4

Children under the age of 5, and pregnant women.

Question 5

Malaria is the sixth biggest killer for what type of countries?

Answer 5

Low-income countries.

Question 6

What are some of the symptoms of malaria?

Answer 6

Fever, headache and vomiting.

Question 7

Where do mosquitoes breed?

Answer 7

In stagnant water.

Question 8

When is transmission greatest?

Answer 8

During and just after the rainy season.

Question 9

What is the temperatures that the parasites require to develop inside the mosquitoes?

Answer 9

16 degrees celcius - 32 degrees celcius. This is why the disease is mostly concentrated in the tropics and subtropics.

Question 10

Why do coastal areas show to have a high prevalence of malaria?

Answer 10

Less seasonal variation in temperature, alongside lower altitudes and higher relative humidity.

Question 11

When do symptoms of malaria most commonly appear?

Answer 11

Between 10 - 15 days after the mosquito bite.

Question 12

At which altitudes and rainfall levels does malaria transmission begin to fall?

Answer 12

Altitudes above 1,500m and rainfall below 1,000mm

Question 13

What percentage of total global burden due to malaria is concentrated among the poorest 20% of the global population?

Answer 13

58%

Question 14

What percentage of the total global DALYs are lost to the richest global 20%?

Answer 14

0.2%

Question 15

What is a DALYs?

Answer 15

Disability-adjusted life years.

Question 16

Why is malaria a common cause of morbidity and concentrated mostly in the worlds poorest countries?

Answer 16

Lack of investment in R&D into new drugs and vaccines.
Limited existing programmes to control the disease.

Question 17

According to the WHO, around how many people die each year of malaria?

Answer 17

400,000 people

Question 18

Aside of health and education, what is the importance of eradicating malaria to the UN?

Answer 18

It is the key to success of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals because malaria is known to increase poverty.

Question 18

In 2015, around how many children under five died of malaria?

Answer 18

around 303,000.

Question 19

How does malaria effect the economy?

Answer 19

Less people will be working due to taking sick leave or take time off to look after family members but also effects people who cannot afford to treat malaria. Businesses suffer from a lack of productivity and staff absenteeism.

Question 20

According to the WHO, how much is malaria estimated to cost African countries annualy?

Answer 20

US$12 billion or £9.6 billion

Question 21

Between 2010 and 2015, what percentage did new malaria cases fall by?

Answer 21

21%