A Disease of Poverty

Malaria and poverty are intimately connected. Judged as both a root cause and a consequence of poverty, malaria is most intractable for the poorest countries in the world. Malaria affects the health and economic growth of nations and individuals alike. In addition to the human toll malaria exacts, the economic and social impacts are devastating: Sick children miss school, tourism suffers, and foreign investment is stifled. In malaria-endemic countries, 300-500 million people get sick from malaria every year, incapacitating them from work and subsequently decreasing productivity and output, as well as household incomes.

Annual economic loss in Africa due to malaria is estimated to be $12 billion, representing a crippling 1.3 percent annual loss in GDP growth in endemic countries. Malaria becomes a self-perpetuating problem, where the disease prevents the human and economic capital necessary to bring the disease under control. Moreover, malaria disproportionately affects the rural poor who can neither afford a bed net for prevention, nor access appropriate treatment when they fall sick.

The simple presence of malaria in a community or country also hampers individual and national prosperity due to its influence on social and economic decisions. The risk of contracting malaria in endemic areas can deter investment and affect individual and household decision making in many ways that have a negative impact on economic productivity and growth.

Malaria and Poverty Map

Some examples of negative impact include:

  • Preference by individual farmers/households to plant subsistence crops rather than more labor-intensive cash crops because of malaria's impact on labor during harvest season.
  • Undeveloped markets due to traders' unwillingness to travel to and invest in malaria endemic areas.
  • Undeveloped tourist industry due to reluctance of travelers to visit malaria-endemic areas.

The major barrier to curbing the malaria problem in Africa is the lack of funding. It is estimated that $2-3 billion would be needed each year to effectively control malaria. Only about $200 million is given by African governments, donor governments, and UN agencies per year towards this cause. This money is needed to help provide insecticide treated mosquito nets, DDT sprayings to eliminate malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and drugs to the half billion people who are infected each year.

Despite these barriers, there is hope as governments pledge more money towards controlling malaria and locals become educated on why changing habits can help them avoid the deadly disease. We are in a revolutionary time where poverty has become top of the list for many celebrities and governments, and it’s time for the rest of us to join. By eliminating poverty, we may help eliminate the endless deaths caused by malaria. By curbing the number of deaths caused by the disease, we are also helping to solve a major problem of poverty.