Malaria: the global challenge

Abstract

More than half the world's population is at risk from malaria, with up to 500 million cases each year and more than one million deaths directly resulting from the disease. Those at highest risk from the disease are people living in endemic areas, travelers to endemic areas, small children and pregnant women. Malaria is a constant risk to the overall health of the global population. Treatment of malaria depends on the species of infecting parasite, the area where the infection was acquired and its drug resistance status, the clinical status of the patient, any co-morbidities, pregnancy, drug allergies or other medications taken by the patient. Proper treatment of malaria will shorten its duration, prevent complications and help to avoid the majority of deaths. Currently the best available treatment is a combination of drugs known as artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). This therapy works rapidly and has little or no resistance to date. In order to protect against the development we must combine drugs with different mechanisms of action against the same stages of the parasite. Malaria prevention includes vector control, chemoprophylaxis use and the future possibility of vaccine use. Vector control is achieved with the use of insecticide treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying of...