DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Malaria prevalence in Tanzania has decreased by half from 14.4 percent in 2016 to 7.3 percent in 2018, said a new report released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report also showed that new infections for children under the age of five had dropped to 7.3 percent in 2017.
NBS Director General Albina Chuwa presented the report to the Minister for Health, Ummy Mwalimu, in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.
The prevalence of malaria in rural areas was 10 percent, and in urban areas, 2 percent.
According to the report, malaria prevalence on Zanzibar's Unguja Island was 0.4 percent and zero on Pemba Island.
The report said Kigoma was leading among regions with the highest rate of prevalence, at 24 percent.
"Malaria prevalence decreases with enhanced maternal education and household wealth," said the report.
Over 90 percent of Tanzania's population live in areas where there is malaria.
Each year, 10 million to 12 million people contract malaria in Tanzania, and 80,000 die from the disease, most of them children.
