Children with fever receiving antimalarial drugs (% of children under age 5 with fever)
Malaria treatment refers to the percentage of children under age five who were ill with fever in the last two weeks and received any appropriate (locally defined) anti-malarial drugs.
Malaria is endemic to the poorest countries in the world, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Prompt and effective treatment of malaria is a critical element of malaria control. It is vital that sufferers, especially children under age 5, start treatment within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms, to prevent progression - often rapid - to severe malaria and death. Data on malaria are from national-level surveys, including Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, Demographic and Health Surveys, and Malaria Indicator Surveys.