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5 things you should know about malaria in the 21st century

1. What is it? 

Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease but, thankfully, in these modern times, the disease is treatable. It is one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases, but it’s making a comeback.

2. In South Africa?

Malaria is endemic in parts of the Lowveld of Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Kruger National Park and on the Maputaland coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal. City centres like Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town are malaria free

3. It’s only in rural areas, right?

Wrong.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly half the world’s population is at risk of contracting malaria. From the rich to the poor, from the young to the old, malaria can affect anyone.

History tells us that some of the most notable malaria deaths include the Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama and Mongol emperor, Genghis Khan. But in more recent times, even celebrities can suffer in its grip and live to tell the tale, like Cheryl Cole, Rebel Wilson, Jeremy Piven, George Clooney, Michael Cain and Didier Drogba.

4. What changed?

The origins of tonic water lie in mankind’s age-old fight against malaria.

Quinine is the key ingredient that creates the gentle bitterness in tonic water and is theorized to be toxic to the malarial pathogen. In the 1600’s, with the world plagued by malaria-carrying mosquitos, a Jesuit monk discovered that the bark of the Cinchona Tree (or Fever Tree) would see a fever subside and by the 1800’s we saw the first ‘Indian Tonic Waters’ created by the Royal Navy – they just couldn’t resist mixing their medicinal quinine with their ration of gin, and the humble G&T was born.

With mosquitos choosing to come out as the sun went down, all over Europe people would raise a glass at sunset and enjoy a gin and tonic as a pleasantly social ritual.

5. How can I help?

Fever-Tree offers a range of premium tonic waters made of the finest ingredients - including quinine from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is why the fight against malaria means so much to Fever-Tree, who is taking part of the global campaign #MalariaMustDie.

Join Fever-Tree and together we can be the generation to end malaria for good!

‘Raise Your Glass, Erase Malaria’ with Fever-Tree.

For every glass raised on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook before 31 May, tagging @FeverTreeMixers and #MalariaMustDie, Fever-Tree will donate £5 to charity Malaria No More.

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