Malaria

David Mabey: Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Martin W. Weber: Affiliation:
World Health Organization
Moffat Nyirenda: Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dorothy Yeboah-Manu: Affiliation:
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana
Jackson Orem: Affiliation:
Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala
Laura Benjamin: Affiliation:
University College London
Michael Marks: Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Nicholas A. Feasey: Affiliation:
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

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Summary

Malaria is a protozoan infection caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. The burden of malaria is highest in sub-Saharan Africa. The dominant Anopheles vectors in Africa are highly efficient at transmitting malaria and Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous of the malaria parasites, is responsible for over 90% of malaria cases in Africa. Since 2000, remarkable progress on malaria control has been achieved alongside substantial investment in insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying of insecticides (IRS) and artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) (Bhatt et al. 2015). Between 2000 and 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.5 billion malaria cases and 7.6 million malaria deaths were averted, mostly in Africa, and Morocco and Algeria were recently certified as malaria-free (WHO 2020). Since 2015, however, progress on malaria control has slowed, particularly in high burden countries. Globally, malaria control efforts are challenged by insufficient funding, and the emerging threats of drug and insecticide resistance (Ashley et al. 2014; Hemingway et al. 2016).

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Type: Chapter
Information: Principles of Medicine in Africa , pp. 225 - 237

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009052733.021 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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