There are five parasite species that cause malaria in humans. Collectively, these are known as Plasmodium parasites (or P. for short). Two of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat to humans. P. falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite, and it is most prevalent in Africa. In other parts of the world, P. vivax causes the most deaths. 

Figures from the World Health Organization show how deadly P. falciparum malaria is. Africa is home to about 95% of all malaria cases and 95% of deaths. Children under 5 account for around 80% of all malaria deaths in Africa. 
 

Anopheles mosquitoes are a type of mosquito. They are also called nail mosquitoes, marsh mosquitoes or African malaria mosquitoes. 

The female anopheles mosquito is the only type of mosquito that carries malaria parasites. This is because malaria parasites live in the bodies of mammals (including humans), birds and reptiles, and anopheles mosquitoes prefer to feed on human blood rather than other animals. It is only the female anopheles mosquito that feeds on blood; the male does not. 

Anopheles mosquitoes have long, slim bodies and mouth-parts, and fragile looking legs. They are easily identifiable by the way they rest: with their mouth-part, head and body held in a straight line at an angle to the surface they are resting on. 

Most anopheles are active at dusk, dawn or nighttime. After feeding, some types of anopheles prefer to rest indoors and some prefer to rest outside. 

Female anopheles mosquitoes usually lay their eggs in water. Breeding increases significantly in the rainy season when water collects in puddles, swamps, ponds, water tanks, man-made containers, drains and other watery places. Adult anopheles mosquitoes can also live in dry regions and they can travel far from water. This means they can still be a threat in dry season or in places where there is no water nearby.

Different types of medication are used to treat different types of malaria. Health providers will choose the medication based on the type of malaria someone has, whether the malaria parasite is resistant to certain medicine, someone’s weight, age and health status, and whether the person is pregnant. 

Artemisinin-based combination therapy medicines are the most effective treatment for P. falciparum malaria. Chloroquine is recommended for treating P. vivax malaria, but only in places where the parasite is not resistant to this medicine.

Preventative chemotherapy is when certain groups of people who are at risk of getting severely ill or dying from malaria are given anti-malarial medicine to protect them. 

The World Health Organization recommends the following strategies in countries or areas where malaria is a threat to health: 

• Preventative treatment of malaria in pregnancy: Women and other pregnant people are given anti-malarial drugs during their pregnancy to protect them and the foetus.

 • Perennial malaria chemoprevention: A full course of anti-malarial drugs is given to infants and young children (under the age of 2). 

• Seasonal malaria chemoprevention: Monthly doses of anti-malarial drugs are given to children under 5 years of age during peak malaria season. 

• Post-discharge malaria chemoprevention: Children are given anti-malarial drugs after they have been in hospital with anaemia (a symptom of severe malaria). 

• Intermittent preventive treatment for school-aged children: This is for school-aged children in places with year-round or seasonal malaria transmission.

 • Mass drug administration: Anti-malarial drugs are given to all people living in a certain area, regardless of their age, when malaria risk is at its highest. 

People on preventative chemotherapy will be given a single type of medication or a combination, and they will be asked to take it for a set amount of time. People must take the full course of tablets to be protected. They should take their medication even if they have not been bitten or do not have any malaria symptoms. 

No anti-malarial medication is 100% effective. But if people take the medication, and they also protect themselves from mosquito bites by doing things like using sprays and nets, they will be much less likely to develop malaria.

If their symptoms are mild, advise them to go to a nearby health centre so they can get tested. Prompt malaria diagnosis is recommended by the World Health Organization for all people with suspected malaria before they are given treatment. This helps health providers quickly work out whether someone with a fever has malaria or not and the most appropriate treatment to give them. If someone’s symptoms are severe, help them to get to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.

As well as using preventative medication, some areas carry out ‘vector control’ to prevent infections. This can be done by providing insecticide-treated nets for people to use, and carrying out ‘indoor residual spraying’, which involves coating internal walls and other sprayable surfaces in people’s houses with a long-lasting insecticide. 

Countries where malaria is causing severe illness and death are working towards eliminating malaria through a combination of vector control, preventative treatment, awareness raising, testing and treatment. Elimination can only be declared when a country has gone three years in a row with zero malaria cases. African countries that have recently eliminated malaria include Algeria (2019) and Cabo Verde (2024).