Malaria Deaths Plummet 20% Over Decade

Providing Africa with nets, spray could save 1M lives a year

(NEWSER) - The world must take action now to end malaria deaths—currently at 1 million per year—by 2010, UN chief Ban Ki Moon said today. "We have the resources and the know-how, but we have less than 1,000 days" to meet the goal, said Ban on the first World Malaria Day. The main push will be to provide bed nets and sprays to all of Africa, BBC reports. More»

Health officials have been undercounting adult victims, researchers argue

(NEWSER) - Health officials have been vastly underestimating the number of people who die of malaria every year, because they've largely ignored its adult victims, according to a new report published in the Lancet . The actual death toll for 2010, according to its estimate, was 1.24 million, nearly twice the World Health Organization's estimate of 655,000. The big difference: The study's count includes 524,000 people age 5 or older (that's 42% of victims), while the WHO only counted 91,000, or 14% of victims. More»

He contracted it during a visit to Sudan

(NEWSER) - Lots of celebrities do philanthropy, but George Clooney's actually suffering in the line of do-goodery—the actor contracted malaria while on a recent trip to Sudan, People reports. However, he's fully cured after a 10-day convalescence, said a spokesman. Clooney was in Sudan ahead of its vote on southern independence. More»

Disease-resistant insect could be new tool

(USER SUBMITTED) - Researchers from the University of Arizona have developed a genetically modified mosquito that is immune to the malaria parasite and thus unable to transmit the illness to people. The new mosquito could eventually help control or even eliminate the disease. Malaria infects more than 250 million yearly, resulting in a million deaths worldwide, mostly children, and is spread uniquely by the bite of infected mosquitoes. More»

(NEWSER) - The World Health Organization has issued a warning against homeopathic treatments for TB and other life-threatening illnesses, reports the BBC. The organization issued the alert after pressure from a group of young researchers who complained that homeopathy was being promoted in poor countries as a treatment for TB, infant diarrhea, HIV, and malaria. "When homeopathy stands in place of effective treatment, lives are lost," said the researchers. More»