Malaria is a disease prevalent in parts of South America and Africa that is transmitted parasitically by mosquitoes. Because of the fact that many countries in South America and Africa are developing nations, it is difficult for people living in these countries to afford treatment. Malaria is, however, curable and altogether preventable.
As Americans, it is not often that we hear about malaria in the news, because typically, Americans only contract malaria as tourists to countries susceptible to the disease. People in South America and Africa face this disease daily. Statistically, a child dies from malaria every 30 seconds. Over half of the world's population has a chance of contracting malaria at some point of his or her life, with emphasis on people who live in developing countries.
Globalization will likely never occur while diseases like malaria exist in developing nations. The economic toll of malaria on countries that are the hardest hit by the disease end up hurting the economic growth rates by as much as 1.3% annually. This means that the gap between developed and developing nations is increasing and likely will continue to increase until malaria and other diseases that affect developing nations are eradicated.