Epidemiology of Malaria

International
: Malaria is responsible for approximately 1-3 million deaths per year, typically in children in
sub-Saharan Africa infected with P falciparum. Populations at an increased risk for mortality due to malaria
include primigravida individuals, travelers without immunity, and young children aged 6 months to 3 years who
live in endemic areas.

In 2015, 95 countries and territories had ongoing malaria transmission,

About 3.2 billion people almost half of the worlds population are at risk
of malaria.
Malaria is preventable and curable, and increased efforts are dramatically
reducing the malaria burden in many places.
Between 2000 and 2015, malaria incidence among populations at risk (the
rate of new cases) fell by 37% globally. In that same period, malaria death
rates among populations at risk fell by 60% globally among all age groups,
and by 65% among children under 5.
Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global
malaria burden. In 2015, the region was home to 88% of malaria cases and
90% of malaria deaths.
Some population groups are at considerably higher risk of contracting malaria, and
developing severe disease, than others. These include infants, children under 5 years
of age, pregnant women and patients with HIV/AIDS, as well as non-immune
migrants, mobile populations and travellers.
According to the latest WHO estimates, released in December 2015, there were 214
million cases of malaria in 2015 and 438 000 deaths.

The intensity of transmission depends on factors related to the parasite, the vector, the
human host, and the environment. Each species of Anopheles mosquito has its own
preferred aquatic habitat; for example, some prefer small, shallow collections of
fresh water, such as puddles and hoof prints, which are abundant during the
rainy season in tropical countries.

Transmission is more intense in places where the mosquito lifespan is longer (so
that the parasite has time to complete its development inside the mosquito) and
where it prefers to bite humans rather than other animals. The long lifespan and
strong human-biting habit of the African vector species is the main reason why
nearly 90% of the world's malaria cases are in Africa.

Transmission also depends on climatic conditions that may affect the number and
survival of mosquitoes, such as rainfall patterns, temperature and humidity. In
many places, transmission is seasonal, with the peak during and just after the
rainy season. Malaria epidemics can occur when climate and other conditions
suddenly favour transmission in areas where people have little or no immunity to

malaria. They can also occur when people with low immunity move into areas
with intense malaria transmission, for instance to find work, or as refugees.

Human immunity is another important factor, especially among adults in areas of

moderate or intense transmission conditions. Partial immunity is developed over
years of exposure, and while it never provides complete protection, it does
reduce the risk that malaria infection will cause severe disease. For this reason,
most malaria deaths in Africa occur in young children, whereas in areas with less
transmission and low immunity, all age groups are at risk.
Pada tahun 2010 di Indonesia terdapat 65% kabupaten endemis dimana hanya
sekitar 45% penduduk di kabupaten tersebut berisiko tertular malaria.
Berdasarkan hasil survei komunitas selama 2007 2010, prevalensi malaria di
Indonesia menurun dari 1,39 % (Riskesdas 2007) menjadi 0,6% (Riskesdas 2010).
Sementara itu berdasarkan laporan yang diterima selama tahun 2000-2009,
angka kesakitan malaria cenderung menurun yaitu sebesar 3,62 per 1.000
penduduk pada tahun 2000 menjadi 1,85 per 1.000 penduduk pada tahun 2009
dan 1,96 tahun 2010. Sementara itu, tingkat kematian akibat malaria mencapai
1,3%.
Prevalensi nasional malaria berdasarkan hasil Riskesdas tahun 2010 adalah 0,6%
dimana provinsi dengan API di atas angka rata-rata nasional adalah Nusa
Tenggara Barat, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Kalimantan Tengah, Bangka Belitung,
Kepulauan Riau, Bengkulu, Jambi, Sulawesi Tengah, Gorontalo, dan Aceh. Tingkat
prevalensi
tertinggi ditemukan di wilayah timur Indonesia, yaitu di Papua Barat (10,6%),
Papua (10,1%) dan Nusa Tenggara Timur (4,4%).

Prognosis of Malaria

Most patients with uncomplicated malaria exhibit marked improvement within 48 hours after the initiation of
treatment and are fever free after 96 hours. P falciparum infection carries a poor prognosis with a high mortality
rate if untreated. However, if the infection is diagnosed early and treated appropriately, the prognosis is
excellent.
Malaria is preventable and treatable. However, the lack of prevention and treatment due to poverty, war, and
other economic and social instabilities in endemic areas results in millions of deaths each year.