Malaria Fact Sheet

• Every 30 seconds a child dies somewhere of malaria
  
• 3,000 people die from malaria every day
  
• 300-500 million cases of malaria each year
  
• 1 million deaths per year caused by malaria
  
• Most of the deaths are children under the age of 5
  
• Malaria accounts for 30-50% of all out-patient care in Sub-Saharan Africa and 50% of hospital admits
  
• Africa loses $10-12billion in GDP per year because of malaria-related costs

Tools Used to Fight Malaria

• ACT’s - Artmisinin Based Combination Treatments
  Relatively high cost, limited use in Africa
  
• IPT - Intermittant Preventative Treatments
  Used for pregnant women
  
• Sleeping Nets--- Low Cost/Low tech solution
  
  • ITN’s- Insecticide Treated Nets are cheap – about $5.00
    
  • But, most Africans cannot afford the nets
    
  • Only 15% of kids in Africa sleep under nets
    
  • Only 2% of kids sleep under insecticide-treated nets
    
  • Use of ITN’s can cut child mortality by 20% 11/04

Source- UNICEF- www.unicef.org/health/index_malaria.html, and www.childinfo.org/eddb/Malaria/trends.htm