Malaria is one of the human population's oldest diseases and greatest causes of death. the malaria-causing parasite plasmodium falciparum has occurred in human populations for around 100,000 years. because this disease is so devastating, humans have had to evolve adaptive traits to survive over the course of time. the sickle-cell anemia allele has been found in a population in some african and southeast asian populations. individuals with the sickle cell allele have resistance to malaria. some other red blood cell diseases also provide malaria resistance. the sickle cell disease increased in the malaria prone areas since a) it was developed to cure malaria b) individuals with sickle cell die young c) sickle cell and malaria have no connection d) individuals with sickle cell live to reproduce