Congo’s malaria surge stumps scientists

Thousands of Congolese children have fallen victim to a massive resurgence of malaria that has baffled scientists and raised doubts about the global fight against the deadly scourge. At a time when malaria was believed to be in decline, the number of malaria patients has soared by 250 per cent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2009, according to statistics at clinics run by Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Malaria is already the single biggest killer in Congo, with nearly 200,000 people dying annually, and now the trend is worsening. At one clinic in Katanga province alone, nearly 25,000 people were treated for malaria last year – more than triple the number in 2009.

An article in The Globe and Mail examines the crisis.