Malaria Kills

Malaria is caused by a blood parasite, transmitted by mosquitoes. Infected humans experience flu-like symptoms that can result in coma and death. Malaria infects more than 500 million people a year and kills more than a million - one person dies about every 30 seconds. The disease is particularly devastating in Africa, where it is a leading killer of children. In addition to being home to the deadliest strain of malaria and the mosquito best-equipped to transmit the disease, many areas in Africa lack the resources to fight back.

Malaria accounts for up to half of all hospital admissions and outpatient visits in Africa. Malaria illness and death cost Africa approximately $12 billion a year in lost productivity.

Malaria increases school absenteeism, decreases tourism, inhibits foreign investment, and even affects the type of crops that are grown.


Malaria is Preventable

Malaria can be prevented by giving families insecticide-treated bed nets to sleep under and by taking steps to kill mosquitoes where they breed and when they enter houses to feed at night.

Malaria has been brought under control and even eliminated in many parts of Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Yet in Africa, malaria infections have actually increased during the last three decades.

Bed Nets

Despite the magnitude of the problem, there is a simple and cost-effective solution to prevent malaria deaths. For just $10, you can purchase a bed net, deliver it to a family, and explain its use. Bed nets work by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of transmissions occur. A family of four can sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net, safe from malaria, for up to four years. The benefits of bed nets extend even further than the family. When enough nets are used, the insecticide used to deter mosquitoes makes entire communities safer—including even those individuals who do not have nets.



Although $10 for a bed net may not sound like much, the cost makes them out of reach for most people at risk of malaria, many of whom survive on less than $1 a day. Nets are a simple, life-saving solution, but we need your help to provide them to those in need!