Updated: August 12, 2010

Half of the world's population is at risk of contracting malaria -- that's 3.3 billion people. In Africa, malaria is the second leading cause of death after HIV/AIDS. What makes this disease so prevalent? Mosquitoes.

Children in poor African communities have the lowest survival rate after becoming infected with malaria because they are malnourished and people do not realize the importance of mosquito nets for the prevention of the disease. Also, many communities do not have proper health care, parents cannot afford medical treatment and reinfection can cause drug resistance to the parasites infecting the blood stream.

"People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills and flu-like illness," says the Center For Disease Control. Though malaria causes flu-like symptoms, people are only infected by mosquitoes that carry parasites. For a complete look at the life cycle of the disease, examine the diagram below.

In Sierra Leone, Jessica Kumari visited a clinic where nearly every child was diagnosed with malaria that day. In fact, 1 in 4 children in Africa are infected. Organizations like Doctors Without Borders, Nothing But Nets and Malaria No More, help those around the world in the battle against this disease.

Take the quiz below to learn the fact, then, view the links below to learn how you can help by donating money for mosquito nets.