There are an estimated 3.4 billion people who live in an area that has a high risk of malaria transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 198 million cases of malaria were treated clinically in 2013. WHO estimated there were about 500,000 deaths attributed to malaria that same year.

Malaria is a curable disease, if detected early. It is most commonly transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. After being bit, a subject goes through a seven- to 30-day incubation period. When the parasitic infection takes hold, it may last one to three days or more. An uncomplicated case lasts six to 10 hours. The patient goes through sensations of shivering, leading to a hot stage of fever, headache, and vomiting, and finally climaxing to a stage of sweating and fatigue. If the parasitic infection complicates, it can cause organ failure and abnormal blood coagulation. This can lead to destruction of red blood cells, seizures, inhibited oxygen exchange, or acute kidney failure, among other fatal consequences.