Key facts

* Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
* A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.
* There were 247 million cases of malaria in 2006, causing nearly one million deaths, mostly among African children.
* Malaria is preventable and curable.
* Approximately half of the world's population is at risk of malaria, particularly those living in lower-income countries.
* Travellers from malaria-free areas to disease "hot spots" are especially vulnerable to the disease.
* Malaria takes an economic toll - cutting economic growth rates by as much as 1.3% in countries with high disease rates.