Public Health Landscape - Malaria’s Long Tail
The impacts of severe malaria cases on children are well documented, but the effects of mild infections on child development are less understood.
The statistics surrounding malaria mortality and the susceptibility of children to severe malaria infection are well known in Public Health circles. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria claimed an estimated 627,000 lives in 2020, the vast majority of those in the WHO African Region. In 2020, the region accounted for a 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths, with children under the age of five making up 80% of the fallen.