Malaria is a disease that can be cured. It is also fatal if not quickly detected and treated. A person who gets malaria contracts it from a bite from female Anopheles mosquitoes. (Anopheles any of various mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles, which can carry the malaria parasite and transmit the disease to human beings) The mosquitoes themselves get the parasites from other humans who have the parasites in their bloodstream. The parasites are 1 celled and are usually called Plasmodium parasites. (Plasmodium - A protozoan of the genus Plasmodium, which includes the parasites that cause malaria) .
There are four major types of malarial parasites; Plasmodium Vivax, Plasmodium Ovale, Plasmodium Malariae, and Plasmodium Falciparum. The fist three are not as fatal in comparison to Plasmodium Falciparum. With the first three a fever will rupture red bloods cells and moves the parasites into the bloodstream. With P. Falciparum there will be uncontrolable shivering then fever up to 41oC. P.Vivax, P. ovale, P. Malariae "attack only young or old red blood cells- but Falciparum will attack red blood cells of any age. Falciparum malaria might lead to anemia. (Anemia - A pathological deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood, measured in unit volume concentrations of hemoglobin, red blood cell volume, or red blood cell number.) Malaria in later stages might lead to blocked blood vessels to major organs ie. spleen, kidney, liver because dead blood cells.
Over five million people get malaria a year and over one million children and infants in Africa die from malaria. Some countries that have medium to high risks of people contracting malaria are Africa, Burma, Kampuchea, Vietnam etc. One in one hundred forty people in Papua New Guinea get malaria. One in two hundred ten people get malaria in Nigeria.
It is very hard to control the number of people that get malaria, its not that people didn't try in the past.