The disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, previously unknown, has been identified as severe malaria in the form of a respiratory illness. The outbreak in the southwestern Kwango province killed 143 people in November. The World Health Organization (WHO) sent a team to investigate the outbreak due to a lack of testing facilities in the region. The WHO's recent World Malaria Report revealed an increase in malaria cases and deaths, with the majority affecting African children under the age of five. Malaria can be treated with anti-malarial drugs and two new vaccines have been licensed for use in children.