World Malaria Day is observed to bring global attention to the efforts being made to bring an end to malaria, and encourage action to reduce suffering and death from the disease.
Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. The risk of infection is higher in some areas than others depending on multiple factors, including the type of local mosquitoes. It may also vary according to the season, the risk being highest during the rainy season in tropical countries.
The first symptoms of malaria usually begin within 10–15 days after the bite from an infected mosquito. Fever, headache and chills are typically experienced, though these symptoms may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria. In malaria endemic areas, people who have developed partial immunity may become infected but experience no symptoms.
Malaria vaccines have been in development since the 1960’s, with substantial progress in the last decade. World Health Organization (WHO) recommend widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children living in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission.