Severe Falciparum Malaria: An Overview

Malaria is a human intracellular protozoan parasitic disease caused by female anopheline mosquitoes inoculating plasmodium parasites on erythrocytes (۱). Five types of Plasmodium are known to cause diseases in humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, and P. knowlesi (۲). Malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity and death in the world, especially in Africa (۳). In ۲۰۱۷, there were ۲۱۹ million cases of malaria, responsible for ۴۳۵ ۰۰۰ deaths worldwide. Malaria affects children aged ۱–۵ years the most, accounting for ۶۱% (۲۶۶ ۰۰۰) of all malaria deaths. In ۲۰۱۷, the WHO African Region had the highest number of malaria cases (۲۰۰ million or ۹۲%) and accounted for ۹۳% of all malaria deaths. India and most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa bore nearly ۸۰% of the global burden of the disease. P. falciparum is the most common malaria parasite in Africa (۴). Falciparum malaria is the most common malaria (۵). In ۲۰۱۷, falciparum malaria accounted for ۹۹.۷% of malaria cases in Africa, ۶۲.۸% in South-East Asia, ۶۹% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and ۷۱.۹% in the Western Pacific Region (۴). Falciparum malaria is responsible for the vast majority of deaths (۹۹%) (۶).