3 April 2014 – The aim of World Health Day 2014 is to raise awareness of the problem of vector-borne diseases and encourage individuals and communities to take action to protect themselves against the vectors that cause disease. Vectors are organisms that transmit pathogens and parasites from one infected person (or animal) to another, putting health at risk, at home and during travels.

Vector-borne diseases account for 17% of the estimated global burden of all infectious diseases. Malaria is the most deadly vector-borne disease, causing an estimated 660 000 deaths in 2010. Every one minute a child dies of malaria.

Yellow fever and dengue fever are also fatal diseases; dengue fever is the world's fastest growing vector-borne disease with a 30-fold increase in disease incidence over the last 50 years.