Distribution of Malaria
Globally: P. falciparum is the most prevalent type of malaria, and mostly found in Africa, Asia, South America, and was in Europe and different temperate climate zones until the last century. P. vivax is primarily found in Asia, South America, the Horn of Africa, and parts of Europe until the last century.
In 2022, there were 249 million cases of malaria and 608000 deaths worldwide. Of these deaths, 76% were children under five years of age, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa: 234 million malaria cases and 593 000 of deaths.
Asia: 5.4 million cases of malaria in Southeast Asia.
In these areas with very high malaria transmission, a child gets infected almost every day, and will slowly develop partial immunity against the disease, so that severe disease and malaria deaths almost only occur in children under five.
The most vulnerable groups are young children, pregnant women and migrants or travellers.
Socio-economic impact of Malaria:
Malaria is often called an epidemic of the poor. Malaria inflicts significant financial burdens on individuals and families, including expenses for treatment, medical care, transportation, lost workdays, and preventive measures.
Governments bear substantial costs related to malaria control, such as maintaining healthcare facilities, purchasing medications, implementing public health interventions, and addressing indirect economic impacts like lost productivity.
The direct financial toll of malaria is estimated to exceed $12 billion annually.