BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW AND BERNICE BORN
In 1961 Venezuela was the first country in the world to be labelled malaria free by the World Health Organization. Now malaria is back and at levels not seen in 75 years. A recent New York Times article reports that among Venezuela’s woes of a failing economy, a collapsing medical system and political unrest, the South American country faces a serious rise in a virulent form of malaria.
"The malaria parasite has been killing children and sapping the strength of whole populations for tens of thousands of years. It is impossible to calculate the harm malaria has done to the world."
— Bill Gates
While Venezuela’s outbreak has attracted the attention of the world’s media, malaria continues to devastate much of the global population in South and Central America, Africa and Asia.
The World Health Organization estimates that about 3.2 billion people — nearly half of the world’s population — are at risk of malaria. In 2015, there were roughly 214 million malaria cases and an estimated 438,000 deaths from malaria.
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Malaria has long been the scourge of humanity.
Bill Gates said, “The malaria parasite has been killing children and sapping the strength of whole populations for tens of thousands of years. It is impossible to calculate the harm malaria has done to the world.”
Malaria is caused by a one-celled parasite called plasmodium and is transferred to humans through mosquito bites. People who get malaria generally become very sick with high fevers, shaking chills and flu-like symptoms. In some malaria cases, patients who have recovered from their first episode may experience relapses months or even years later.
Malaria is only one of the many diseases transmitted by mosquitoes to humans. Visit WiRED’s new Mosquito page for more information.
Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death from malaria can usually be prevented. Methods of prevention include avoiding mosquito bites, using approved insect repellents, wearing protective clothing, using bed netting and spraying insecticide. Although there are medicines to prevent malaria, they vary according to effectiveness and country. WiRED International offers two modules on malaria: one for grassroots audiences and one for healthcare professionals. The modules cover malaria topics, including causes, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, medications and drug resistance.