World health officials estimate that in 2010 alone, more than 655,000 people around the world died of malaria-related causes. International cooperative intervention from trained medical teams has helped to lower the mortality rate in many countries, but the threat remains.

1. Malaria: An Ongoing Global
Public Health Concern
Information Provided by Cecilia Ibru
and the Michael and Cecilia
Foundation

2. The Threat of Malaria
• World health officials estimate that in 2010
alone, more than 655,000 people around the
world died of malaria-related causes.
• International cooperative intervention from
trained medical teams has helped to lower the
mortality rate in many countries, but the
threat remains.
• Young children in Sub-Saharan Africa, in
particular, remain the most vulnerable.

3. What is Malaria?
• Malaria, a parasitic disease transmitted
through the bites of infected mosquitoes,
targets the liver and then the red blood cells;
it can be deadly when it blocks blood flow to
vital organs. Symptoms include fever, aches,
sweats, chills, and fatigue. Prevention and
treatment involve the use of insecticide-laced
bed nets in high-risk regions, indoor and
outdoor spraying of insecticides, and therapy
with artemisinin-based medications.

4. Nigeria, the most populous African nation at
more than 162 million citizens, is among the
countries working to alleviate the suffering
caused by malaria.

5. In recent years, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria has distributed funds
to Nigeria so that it can purchase anti-malarial
netting and medicine—enough for more than 50
million treatments. The Nigerian government
and its international partners have also supplied
general outdoor and indoor spraying of
insecticides, diagnostic testing, ongoing
monitoring, and technical aid.

6. About the Author
Cecilia Ibru and her husband
operate the Michael and Cecilia
Foundation, whose goals include
improving health care education
and immunization projects in
Nigeria.