Plasmodium falciparum is a unicellular protozoan parasite of humans, and the deadliest species of Plasmodium 
that causes malaria in humans. The parasite is transmitted through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito and 
causes the disease's most dangerous form, falciparum malaria. It is responsible for around 50% of all malaria cases 
P. falciparum is therefore regarded as the deadliest parasite in humans.
As of the World Health Organization World Malaria Report 2021, there were 241 million cases of malaria 
worldwide in 2020, resulting in an estimated 627,000 deaths. Nearly all malarial deaths are caused by P. falciparum, 
and 95% of such cases occur in Africa. Children under five years of age are most affected, accounting for 80% of the 
total deaths. In Sub-Saharan Africa, almost 100% of cases were due to P. falciparum, whereas in most other malarial 
countries, other, less virulent plasmodial species predominate.