By Janet Midega, Scientific America From Business Insider

• Scientists are worrying that a deadly strain of malaria is spreading quickly across the world from Southeast Asia.
• Simultaneously, Congress may cut 44% of malaria prevention funding which could lead to a dramatic increase in malaria deaths.
• Malaria is constantly changing and has grown resistant to different forms of treatment over the years.
• Malaria eradication is a tough task but malaria treatment and research must continue to be funded to keep it a goal.

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There has been growing hope in recent years that malaria could eventually be eradicated but that sense of optimism is currently facing some major new challenges.

Scientists are warning that a “supermalaria” parasite is spreading rapidly across Southeast Asia, and could pose a global health threat if it spreads to Africa. It is resistant to artemisinin, the recommended first-line treatment for malaria.

In addition, if the U.S. Congress carries out the proposed 44 percent cut to the President’s Malaria initiative (PMI) funding, it could have a significantly undercut prevention and treatment programs. Projections show that the PMI cut alone could lead to an additional 300,000 malaria deaths over the next four years.

Although the disease continues to be a major global public health problem, the number of