Facts at a Glance

Every thirty seconds, a child in Africa dies from malaria. 3,000 children a day.
Malaria kills more than one million people a year.
Worldwide, malaria causes approximately 350 to 500 million illnesses.
Annual economic loss in Africa due to malaria is estimated to be $12 billion, representing a crippling 1.3 percent annual loss in GDP growth in endemic countries.
Malaria-endemic countries allocate significant resources to malaria:
- 40% of health expenditures
- 20-45% of hospital admissions
- 50% of outpatient visits
Malaria was a health problem in the U.S., primarily in the southeast, until about 1950. Since then, the U.S. has been free of malaria.
Half a century ago, Malaria was successfully eradicated in Caribbean Islands, the Balkans, several Western European countries, Taiwan and the South Pacific.
Malaria can be prevented and treated through a comprehensive approach that involves long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets, eliminating mosquito breeding areas, selective indoor residual spraying, medicines for treatment, and education.

According to a 2008 World Health Organization (WHO) report, widespread use of long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets and access to malaria drugs can cut malaria-related deaths by more than half among children in the hardest-hit countries of Africa.
In Rwanda, malaria deaths dropped 66% and incidence dropped 64% between 2005 and 2007.
In Ethiopia, malaria deaths dropped 51% and incidence dropped 60% between 2005 and 2007. Ethiopia has distributed nearly of 20 million bed nets since 2005.
- In 2003, less than 5% of households owned a single treated bed net.
- Soon, every household in a malaria-endemic area will own two LLINs.
Kenya, 2006 – 3.4 million insecticide-treated bed nets distributed over four days
- 10-fold increase in children sleeping under nets
- 44% fewer deaths among protected children
Zanzibar, Tanzania, 2006 – 100% availability of ACTs and 90% bed net coverage.
- Malaria attributed deaths in children under 5 dropped 75%
- Malaria-related clinic visits down 77%
- Bed nets expected to save 2,000 children’s lives in the next three years