Pandemic
Malaria (ongoing)
Plasmodium falciparum
70.0M
estimated deaths
Period
1900–Ongoing
Origin
Sub-Saharan Africa
Death range
60.0M–80.0M
Infected
2.0B
Overview
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that has plagued humanity for millennia. Caused by Plasmodium parasites transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, it kills approximately 600,000 people per year, predominantly children under 5 in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the 20th and 21st centuries combined, it has killed an estimated 50–100 million people. A vaccine (RTS,S/AS01) was approved in 2021.
Historical Timeline
2023~600K deaths/year ongoing
Symptoms
Cyclical fever and chills
Severe headache
Vomiting
Jaundice
Seizures (cerebral malaria)
Affected Regions
Sub-Saharan Africa
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Amazon Basin
Sources & References
Compare Malaria (ongoing) with other events
Open Comparison Tool