Final answer:
The author's purpose for writing this informational text is to inform the audience about the history and impact of malaria on humankind.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's purpose for writing this informational text is to inform the audience about the history and impact of malaria on humankind.
The text provides information on the spread of malaria, its deadly causative agent, the global distribution and impact of the disease, as well as the past efforts and current initiatives to combat it.
This can be inferred from the content of the text, which presents factual information and statistics without any persuasion or entertainment elements.
The author wants the audience to understand the significance of malaria as an infectious disease and the ongoing challenges in its prevention and treatment.