The impact

Because malaria was eradicated in the West in the last century, most Dutch do not think malaria is a serious problem. But nothing is less true: worldwide, malaria is the biggest killer of children under the age of five. The figures are telling.

1 MILLION PEOPLE DIE EACH YEAR 2,000 CHILDREN DIE EACH DAY 250 MILLION CASES OCCUR YEARLY

Worldwide, malaria kills at least 1 million people a year, and that number can even rise to as many as 3 million. Ninety-one percent of the deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. Forty per cent of the world population is at risk of contracting malaria, and every year, 250 million people actually become infected.

Young children under the age of five and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable and can die of malaria. Every 45 seconds, a child dies of malaria. That's almost 2,000 children a day! That makes malaria the biggest killer of children under the age of five in Africa.

Pregnant women are up to three times more at risk of developing a severe case of malaria than other adults. In pregnant women, malaria can result in anaemia, miscarriages, premature births and still births. Malaria during pregnancy causes low birth weight, anaemia, and brain damage in the child. A baby whose mother has malaria has a higher chance of getting an infection and dying in its first year of life.