Malaria
What is Malaria?
Malaria is a preventable parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It is prevalent especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
According to UNICEF's World Malaria Report 2005:
- 300 to 500 million cases of malaria each year
- One million deaths from malaria each year
- 90 percent of occurrences are among children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa
- Malaria costs Africa's economy USD 12 billion per year
Because malaria is a global emergency that affects mostly poor women and children, malaria perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty in the developing world. See more facts [PDF, 464 KB] 
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The U.S. President's Malaria Initiative
The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) is a core component of the Global Health Initiative and the US Government's Malaria Strategy [PDF, 484 KB]. The Malaria Strategy is a 6-year expansion of U.S. Government resources. It runs from 2009 to 2015. The Malaria Strategy plans to reduce malaria and the poverty related to it in Africa. It is co-managed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The goal is to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50 percent. It has targeted 15 countries. It will aggressively use four proven malaria prevention and treatment measures:
- Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs)
- Indoor residual spraying (IRS) of insecticides
- Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACTs)
- Intermittent preventive treatment of pregnant women (IPTp)
How HHS Focuses on Malaria
Two major Operational Divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are focused on combating malaria. These are the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They lead and support public health, science, prevention and control, case management, and research. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also regulates development for new products like diagnostic tests and vaccines.
The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) provides policy and oversight to CDC, NIH, and FDA. OGA promotes and represents their work to Congress. They also play an advocacy role to other bilateral, multilateral, and partner organizations in the private sector.
Other International Programs
Other major programs to control malaria worldwide include:
In addition, Roll Back Malaria (RBM) helps to coordinate and match-up partners' efforts. It was created in 1998.
