Malaria: Past, present and future

Abstract

Malaria remains a major global health problem. Transmission occurs in 84 countries across five continents, with almost 250 million cases and over 600,000 deaths each year. Primary and secondary care clinicians in the UK need to be alert to the prospect of malaria presenting in returning travellers. They must be aware of the signs of severe malaria, the need for prompt diagnosis and treatment, and the importance of seeking specialist advice. With emerging resistance, climate change and the roll-out of the first malaria vaccines, the landscape of malaria is changing. Here we discuss the past, present and future of malaria.

Keywords

• Malaria
• Fever in returning traveller
• Tropical medicine