The Dangers of Malaria and Some Treatments That Could Help Cure It

Nowadays, a significant part of the world population is exposed to diseases caused by protozoan parasites. There are approximately 10,000 known protozoan species, which cause more human parasitic infections than any other type of organism. The major protozoan diseases, which affect mainly developing countries, are malaria, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniosis and toxoplasmosis. Although found all over the world, these diseases are most common in tropical countries, where high levels of malnutrition, poor health education and the lack of basic sanitation are associated with adequate climates for the proliferation of the vectors.

Malaria is, perhaps, the most dangerous protozoan disease. It affects about 300 million people around the world, causing between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 deaths annually. Children under 5 years old correspond to a large fraction of these fatalities, as malaria kills an African child every 30 seconds. It is estimated that more than 2 billion people (approximately 40% of the world population) are living in regions exposed to malaria infection. Most of the cases of the disease are registered in tropical Africa, though it is also common in large areas of Latin America, Southern Asia and Oceania.