Malaria is still a major killer in the developing world. Eliminating malaria may be less about nets and medicines than about draining the wetlands that breed mosquitoes, as was the case in the American South.

"Wiping out malaria is a top goal for many leaders in global health.

Fewer people are dying now from the mosquito-borne disease than at any other time in history. 'And there's a very, very strong belief now that malaria can be eliminated,' says , who chairs the the African Leaders Malaria Alliance.

But when you look at the overall numbers on malaria, eradication almost seems like a pipe dream.

In 2010, malaria was ranked as the seventh biggest killer in the developing world. More than people got malaria in 2012, and more than 600,000 of those infected died."

Jason Beaubien reports for NPR January 3, 2014. [2]