July 2009
New Global Map of Malaria Infection Rates
In an effort to inform policy and monitor global progress in the fight against malaria, the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) has created a new global map of malaria infection rates. MAP, a multinational team of over 200 researchers, has mapped the extent of the most deadly type of malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. MAP researchers used nearly 8,000 surveys of individuals carrying the parasite in their bloodstream in 2007. The team found that approximately 70 percent of the 2.4 billion people in malaria-prone areas live in low-risk areas where simple interventions such as bednets could have a profound effect in reducing disease incidence.
