How Can Malaria Be Prevented?

In malaria-endemic areas, an integrated package of effective interventions—insecticide-treated bed nets, effective antimalarial drugs to treat malaria illness (artemisinin-based combination therapy), intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, and indoor residual spraying—can severely reduce the impact of malaria. People traveling to malaria-endemic areas should take the right prophylaxis drug and avoid mosquito bites.

Partnerships Key to Control: What CDC and Its Partners Are Doing

In recent years, many partners, including The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria; the World Bank; Roll Back Malaria; UNICEF; and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), have stepped up efforts and joined together to scale up the use of lifesaving interventions, especially in Africa.

PMI is a US government interagency initiative led by USAID and implemented jointly by CDC and USAID. A $1.2 billion initiative begun in 2005, PMI's goal is to reduce malaria deaths by 50% in 15 sub-Saharan Africa countries: Angola, Benin, Ethiopia (Oromia region), Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

The initiative closely collaborates with host ministries of health to support the National Malaria Control Strategy in each country and coordinates with other local and international partners in the public and private spheres. PMI has reached more than 30 million persons with malaria interventions and found signs of early impact of these efforts, including decreased malaria morbidity in several countries.

Through its research, CDC has helped develop and/or evaluate 3 of the 4 major interventions: insecticide-treated nets, intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, and artemisinin-combination therapy. CDC continues to develop and evaluate critical tools for malaria control and prevention.

Is Malaria a Problem in the United States?

Although malaria had been eliminated from the United States by 1951, approximately 1,400 travelers from the United States return with malaria each year—on average, 7 of these travelers will die from their infection.

If you will be traveling to an area with malaria risk, be sure to consult your health care provider and receive a prescription for the right prophylaxis for your destination as well as advice on how to prevent bites altogether.

For More Information

• 2 + Years Later: The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI)
• PMI Web Site
• PMI's Annual Report
• World Malaria Day
• CDC Health Information for International Travel 2008 (The Yellow Book)
• Malaria Matters (4:21 min)