Intensive care. A nurse watches a malaria patient under intensive care. Drips & blood transfusion equipment are present. Malaria is a tropical dis- ease caused by protozoan organisms which are tran- smitted by mosquitoes. Plasmodium falciparum causes malaria which may be fatal within days. The organisms invade the bloodstream, and multiply in the red blood cells which rupture releasing more organisms. Red cell destruction can lead to jaundice, kidney failure, convulsions & coma after an initial fever. In such severe cases emergency treatment is required using antimalarial drugs & blood transfusions. Malaria affects over 200 million people each year. Photographed in Vietnam.