Malaria is a disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Only the Anopheles genus of the mosquito ...AccueilGeneralinformation:MalariaMalariaProgramMalaria:GeneralinformationMalariaisadiseasecausedbytheparasitePlasmodium,whichistransmittedbythebiteofaninfectedmosquito.OnlytheAnophelesgenusofthemosquitocantransmitMalaria.Thesymptomsofthediseaseincludefever,vomiting,and/orheadache.Acharacteristicmalarialfeverhas‘hot',‘wet',and‘cold'phasesandappears10to15daysafterthemosquitobites.Todiagnosemalaria,bloodslidesareexaminedunderamicroscope,wheretheparasiteisseeninsideredbloodcells.Rapiddiagnostictestkits(RDTs)areusedfordiagnosingmalariainremoteareaswheremicroscopescannotbeused. PlasmodiumvivaxorP.falciparumarethemostcommonmalarialparasites,whileP.malariaeandP.ovaleareotherrarerforms.Ofthese,infectionwithP.falciparumisthemostfatalifleftuntreated,possiblyleadingtokidneyandbraincomplications,andevendeath.ChloroquinewasthetreatmentofchoiceformalariaandisstillfollowedinmostcountriesfortreatmentofP.Vivax,butP.falciparumhasdevelopedresistancetoit.Asaresult,Artemisinin-basedcombinationtherapyisnowpresentlyadvisedastheprimarytreatmentformalaria.Amongpreventivemeasures,theuseofinsecticidetreatednetsathomeandindoorresidualsprayingofinsecticidesarerecommendedformalaria.Theseprecautionsactbydecreasingexposuretobitesofinfectedmosquitoes. KeyfactsMalariaisalife-threateningdiseasecausedbyparasitesthataretransmittedtopeoplethroughthebitesofinfectedmosquitoes.Achilddiesofmalariaevery2minutes.Therewere212millioncasesofmalariain2015,causingnearly429,000deaths,mostlyamongAfricanchildren.IntheAmericas,568,000casesofmalariaandaround220deathswerereportedin2016.Malariaispreventableandcurable.Approximatelyhalfoftheworld'spopulationisatriskofmalaria,particularlythoselivinginlower-incomecountries.IntheAmericas132millionpeopleareconsideredtolivinginareasatriskofmalaria.Travellersfrommalaria-freeareastodisease"hotspots"areespeciallyvulnerabletoth