April 25 is World Malaria Day!

April 25 is World Malaria Day!

April 25 is World Malaria Day!

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent this bulletin at 04/25/2013 03:24 PM EDT
April 25 is World Malaria Day
World Malaria Day is commemorated each April 25 and provides an opportunity to reflect on the status of global efforts to "roll back malaria." This year's theme, "Invest in the future: Defeat malaria," is a reminder of the need to continue to make progress and defeat malaria.
CDC and its global partners have made enormous progress in reaching more people than ever with life-saving malaria interventions and in substantially reducing malaria deaths. According to the World Health Organization, in 2010, malaria caused an estimated 219 million illnesses and 660,000 deaths, mostly children under 5 years old in Africa. These numbers represent a 25% decrease in malaria deaths globally and a 33% reduction in malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa since 2000.
Malaria can also cause severe illness, dangerously small newborns, and permanent disability. It is a disease of poverty. Direct costs from malaria are at least US $12 billion per year, with substantially greater losses in economic growth and human potential. However, inexpensive, simple interventions can dramatically reduce malaria's impact.
To learn more about efforts to defeat malaria, read our World Malaria Day blog post or visit the CDC Global Health website.