World Malaria Day at IMTM

5.05.2017

Malaria and tropical diseases were the topics discussed at a conference held on April 25^th on the occasion of the World Malaria Day. The event was organised by the University Centre for Maritime and Tropical Medicine (UCMTM) and the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine (IMTM). Among lectures who shared their knowledge and experience were the national consultant and director of IMTM Wacław Nahorski, M.D. Ph.D., vice director of UCMTM Antoni Urbanowicz, as well as Anna Kuna M.D. Ph.D. and Martyna Bykowska M.D. Ph.D.

Malaria is a parasitic disease that threatens nearly half of the world’s population and occurs in more than 90 countries. Every year malaria affects nearly 200 million people, including 500,000 terminally ill. Most of them are children under the age of 5 years from the Sub-Saharan Africa. The recent research data indicates that until 2015 the number of deaths in Africa decreased by about 30% and in Asia by 50%. More than half of Africans have access to mosquito nets protecting against the infection of malaria. Malaria, however, still is a significant threat to the tropics and has been the main infectious cause of travel death for many years.