Malaria causes hundreds of millions of infections and an estimated one million deaths per year worldwide, many of which occur in children. Sub-Saharan Africa bears a significant proportion of the worldwide burden of malaria. The intensity and seasonality of malaria transmission varies significantly both within and among countries in the region and thus risk of malaria will vary between geographical locations, the age and ethnicity of the child and the time of year.

The symptoms of malaria (malaise, myalgia, headache and fever) are not exclusive to malaria and thus primary care practitioners may not readily recognize them as symptoms of malaria. Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of P. falciparum infection (the most dangerous type of malaria) may lead to severe disease and even death. Migrants who have lived or travelled in malaria-endemic areas are vulnerable to acute malaria, particularly within the first three months after arrival in Canada.