Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via
the bites of infected [female] mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites
multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.
Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, and vomiting, and usually appear
between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If not treated, malaria can
quickly become life-threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs.
In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number
of malaria medicines.
Key interventions to control malaria include: prompt and effective treatment
with artemisinin-based combination therapies; use of insecticidal nets by people
at risk; and indoor residual spraying with insecticide to control the vector
mosquitoes.