World Malaria Day 2014: Countries Most Impacted by Disease (+Treatment Options)

World Malaria Day is April 25, and a good chance to look at the countries most impacted by the disease, which is spread by mosquitoes.

Nigeria and Congo are the two countries that are most affected–around four out of every ten deaths occur in the countries, according to the World Health Organization.

While treatment is believed to be going better in Nigeria, it is thought to be ramping up in Congo.

Unfortunately, all the countries that malaria greatly impacts are in Africa.

Mozambique, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone are also greatly affected by it.

The good news is that the life-threatening disease is causing less deaths nowadays.

Malaria mortality rates have fallen by 42 percent globally since 2000, and by 49 percent in the WHO African Region, the organization said.

“Most deaths occur among children living in Africa where a child dies every minute from malaria. Malaria mortality rates among children in Africa have been reduced by an estimated 54 percent since 2000.”

Early diagnosis and treatment are the best way to reduce malaria deaths, and reduce transmission.

The best way to treat the malaria is artemisinin-based combination therapy. Basically, to prevent patients from developing resistance to anti-malarial drugs, doctors combine more than one drug and also alternate treatment patterns.

The organization also recommends using insecticides to try to kill mosquitoes to prevent bites in the first place.