Abstract

Malaria has been a big problem in Pakistan for a long time now, especially near the border with Afghanistan, where many refugees come from. Because of nearby war, it’s really hard to collect any data regarding this problem. We managed to examine blood samples from febrile patients from this area (these are people who showed up at the hospital with fever). Through genetic analysis, we found out that 86% of the blood samples were infected with Plasmodium vivax and 12% with P. falciparum – the parasites which cause malaria. Public health in this region is worse than in any other area in the country. Many of the cases of malaria are severe. Mostly, children get sick. This study is hopefully the first step in taking control of the situation in the area.