Malaria causes hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, with recent estimates around 600,000, disproportionately affecting children under five in the African region, which accounts for about 95% of global fatalities. While preventable and curable, the disease remains a major health threat, with high case numbers and deaths highlighting gaps in prevention and treatment access, especially in endemic tropical areas.
Cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox, and influenza are some of the most brutal killers in human history. And outbreaks of these diseases across international borders, are properly defined as pandemic, especially smallpox, which throughout history, has killed between 300-500 million people in its 12,000 year existence.
Malaria kills around 800,000 people a year and is second only to tuberculosis in its impact on world health. The parasitic disease is present in 90 countries and infects one in 10 of the world's population - mainly people living in Africa, India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Colombia and the Solomon Islands.
Two billion people risk contracting malaria annually, including those in 90 endemic countries and 125 million travelers, and 1.5 to 2.7 million people die in a year. [1] The Plasmodium parasite has a multistage lifecycle, which leads to characteristic cyclical fevers.
Tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease in the world. Why is it so dangerous, and what are the symptoms? A stubborn cough can be a sign of tuberculosis or TB. Tuberculosis is still around, and cases have been on the rise in recent years in Colorado and around the U.S. Photo: Getty Images.
The number one killer in the world is cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, responsible for about one-third of all global deaths, claiming nearly 18-20 million lives annually, and remains the leading cause across all regions, according to WHO and World Heart Federation. While COVID-19 caused significant deaths in recent years, CVD has consistently held the top spot for decades, with increases seen globally, especially in younger populations.
Both septicemic plague (blood infection) and pneumonic plague (lung infection) had a nearly 100% death rate if left untreated, with pneumonic plague being the most contagious form, spreading through airborne droplets and being rapidly fatal. Untreated bubonic plague (swollen lymph nodes) could also develop into these deadly forms, leading to high mortality.
That malaria was the most common cause of death was even suggested in a Nature article: Whitfield (2002) wrote “Malaria may have killed half of all the people that ever lived”. But while there is obviously no hard evidence to establish or refute this claim other epidemiologists were skeptical that this is true.
The World Health Organization officially declared Australia malaria-free in 1981. But, each year, Australia records cases of malaria in people who have travelled overseas. The parasites that cause malaria are becoming resistant to treatment.
The WHO African Region continues to carry a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2024 the Region was home to about 95% of all malaria cases and deaths.
Medical conditions that still remain incurable
“The mortality rate from coronary artery disease is now down by about 70% from its peak,” Jones said. “And yet it is still the leading cause of death in the US.
Malaria can be fatal, particularly when caused by the plasmodium species common in Africa. The World Health Organization estimates that about 94% of all malaria deaths occur in Africa — most commonly in children under the age of 5.
The longest documented and verified human lifespan is that of Jeanne Calment of France (1875–1997), a woman who lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days. As women live longer than men on average, women predominate in combined records.
The number one cause of death globally and in many countries like the U.S. is Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), primarily Coronary Heart Disease (Ischaemic Heart Disease), followed closely by Dementia (including Alzheimer's), while in some regions like Australia, Dementia has recently surpassed heart disease as the top cause for females, and overall in recent reports, with heart disease often #1 or #2. Other major killers include cancers (especially lung cancer), stroke, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Modern humans emerged around 200,000 years ago, but record-keeping only began about 6,000 years ago. This means that an estimated 97% of human history has been lost, leaving vast portions of our past undocumented and unknown.
Why in News? Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Cabo Verde as a Malaria-free country. Cabo Verde now joins Mauritius and Algeria as the third country in the WHO African region to be certified as malaria-free.
Australia's top three causes of death consistently include Dementia (including Alzheimer's disease), Ischaemic Heart Disease, and Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (like COPD), though their exact ranking can shift, with dementia often leading for women and heart disease for men, but the overall gap narrowing significantly, according to recent ABS data.
Quinine, as a component of the bark of the cinchona (quina-quina) tree, was used to treat malaria from as early as the 1600s, when it was referred to as the "Jesuits' bark," "cardinal's bark," or "sacred bark." These names stem from its use in 1630 by Jesuit missionaries in South America, though a legend suggests ...
Alexander the Great, whose death on the banks of the Euphrates River in June 323 bce was attributed to malaria, shared that fate with numerous illustrious victims.
Malaria can be cured in 2 weeks if diagnosed early and treated properly, but without proper treatment, those infected with malaria may recur periodically with symptoms of fever, chills.
Tu Youyou turned to Chinese medical texts from the Zhou, Qing, and Han Dynasties to find a traditional cure for malaria, ultimately extracting a compound – artemisinin – that has saved millions of lives.
The number one killer in the world is cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, responsible for about one-third of all global deaths, claiming nearly 18-20 million lives annually, and remains the leading cause across all regions, according to WHO and World Heart Federation. While COVID-19 caused significant deaths in recent years, CVD has consistently held the top spot for decades, with increases seen globally, especially in younger populations.
Pneumonic plague is the rarest, but most severe form of the disease. It is 100 percent fatal if not treated rapidly and is deadly in up to half of all cases, even with prompt antibiotic treatment. Untreated cases of bubonic or septicemic plague can become pneumonic plague as infection spreads to the lungs.
Symptoms usually develop two to six days after exposure. The best recovery happens if you are treated within 24 hours of developing symptoms. You'll probably feel better after one to two weeks. However, untreated bubonic plague can be fatal.