Global malaria map revealed by Oxford Uni

Over a third of the world's population lives in an area where there is a risk of deadly malaria.

According to a new spatial map of global malaria risk over the last 40 years, produced by researchers at Oxford University, 2.37 billion people were at risk of contracting the deadliest human malaria parasite, P falciparum malaria, last year.

However, the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) found that one billion people were living under a much lower risk of infection than was previously assumed.

"At a time when donors and international agencies are spending more money on malaria control and re-considering the prospects of malaria elimination, it is critical to have a map of where the disease risks exist. Such a map has been conspicuous by its absence for 40 years," said Professor Bob Snow, who led the MAP team.

"Our recent work is the first of its kind, and it should guide where investment should continue to increase, and where elimination may be possible."

The study was conducted n conjunction with the Kenyan Medical Research Institute.

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