Malaria can be beaten. Proof of this can be found in the fact that across the Asia Pacific region, millions of people who would have died from the disease are living healthy, productive lives. In many countries the number of cases has fallen dramatically, and some countries have already reached the World Health Organization’s target of reducing the malaria burden by 75% by 2015, compared with 2000.Still, malaria remains a serious threat to lives and livelihoods. Endemic in 22 countries across Asia, it is contracted by an estimated 32 million people annually and kills 47,000 of them.

The sick can’t earn an income for their families, children miss school, and families struggle with crippling medical bills. The poor suffer most, as sickness sharpens their poverty and exposes them to further illness. Compounding the threat is the disconcerting fact that endemic countries are home to millions of people who carry malaria parasites but show no symptoms... —blogs.adb.org/blog