Every day, 2,000 children die of a mosquito bite
An estimated 800,000 people die every year from malaria.
It is the 3rd single biggest killer of children globally. Yet, malaria is 100% preventable and treatable, making all malaria deaths unacceptable.
Nearly 90% of malaria deaths occur in Africa, accounting for 1 in 6 childhood deaths there.
UNICEF is the world's largest provider of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), which help protect families from malaria. More bed nets and more global funding for malaria programs are helping reduce malaria in many countries. Between 2004 and 2010, more than 400 million nets were delivered to malaria-endemic countries.
On April 25, World Malaria Day – we commemorate the global effort to eliminate malaria. Deaths from malaria have dropped by 20% between 2000 and 2009, which represent many thousands of individual children's lives saved.
Together, we can help provide the prevention tools and access to lifesaving treatment to end this deadly, preventable child-killer, and bring us closer to the day when zero children die from preventable causes.
Recent news on UNICEF's fight against malaria
April 25, 2011
World Malaria Day: preventable and treatable disease still a child killer
An estimated 800,000 people die every year from malaria. It is the third single biggest killer of children globally, with approximately 90 percent of these deaths occurring in Africa, where malaria accounts for about one in six child deaths. “This World Malaria Day—and every day—around 2,000 children will die from a mosquito bite,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. “We have effective measures to combat this deadly disease, and we must use them to save lives.”
February 5, 2011
Shortage of essential drugs amid crisis in Ivory Coast
Malaria is the leading cause of mortality among children under the age of five in this West African nation, and UNICEF is concerned that stocks of essential drugs to treat the deadly disease are in danger of running out in two to four weeks’ time. The concerns about shortages have emerged in the context of political uncertainty here, part of a national crisis that has gripped Ivory Coast since elections were held in late November.
December 22, 2010
Village clinics improve maternal and child health in Niger
UNICEF has established integrated health posts in villages across Niger to reduce infant mortality, improve maternal health and combat diseases such as HIV and malaria. Thanks to 2,400 heath posts providing free care, about 3/4 of the country's children now have access to health care compared to less than 1/2 just 4 years ago.
