What is Malaria? Malaria is often a fatal disease caused by a protozoan that is transmitted to humans via mosquito bites. According to the World Health Organization, malaria kills more than a million people a year—mostly children—and makes more than 300 million seriously ill. Ninety percent of malaria's victims live in Africa, and most of them are children under the age of five. In Africa, one in 20 children dies from malaria, according to one estimate. The malaria death toll is equivalent to about 3,000 children dying from the disease a day—which amounts to one child dying every 30 seconds. “The malaria epidemic is like loading up seven Boeing 747 airliners each day, then deliberately crashing them into Mt. Kilimanjaro,” notes Dr. Wenceslaus Kilama, chairman, Malaria Foundation International. Malaria greatly hinders development in places like Africa, exacerbating serious problems associated with poverty. In addition to placing demands on health care where such is even available, malaria makes it impossible for millions of people to perform vital functions in African economies. According to the Roll Back Malaria Campaign, malaria can account for as much as 40 percent of government public health budgets. Malaria programs cost African nations an estimated $12 billion a year and consume 25 percent of poor Africans’ family budgets. In some nations where malaria outbreaks are most severe, malaria accounts for up to half of hospital admissions and outpatient treatment. Next