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In Southeast Asia, a new strain of malaria is showing resistance to commonly used antimalarial drugs. Already, more than 200 million people are infected by malaria every year. Experts are concerned about the potential health crisis that could occur if this superbug were to spread beyond the Mekong Delta.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government is ramping up its efforts to lessen malaria’s impact overseas. The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is expanding operations into four Western and Central African countries, which will protect nearly 90 million lives that are at risk for malaria.
Irene Koek, acting U.S. global malaria coordinator with the President’s Malaria Initiative, tells The Takeaway that the speed at which this malaria superbug is spreading is very dangerous.
This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.
