Malaria has reached epidemic proportions. About 40% of the world’s population live in malarious areas. It is estimated that 400 million people are infected by malaria each year and of these, 1-3 million die, mostly children under five years of age. In the year 2000, malaria was estimated to be the cause for the loss of nearly 45 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and this accounts for 13% of all DALYs associated with infectious diseases. Malaria has gained importance in Western Europe, including Malta, mainly due to the increasing tourism to malaria endemic countries. There have been 21 reported cases of malaria in Malta between the years 2000-2003.peer-reviewe
