Malaria Deaths Halved Since 2000

The BBC News site and The Economist have published figures showing that deaths from Malaria have dropped 54% since the year 2000. That means between 2001 and 2013, 4.3 million deaths were averted, 3.9 million of which were children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: The Economist

This incredible change is due to the fact that up to 50% of people in malaria risk regions now have access to a mosquito net. There has also been a scaling up of diagnostic testing, and more people now are able to receive medicines to treat the parasitic infection.

In 2013 Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka reported zero cases for the first time ever and 11 others continued to maintain zero cases.