According to WHO’s latest World malaria report, there were an estimated 263 million cases and 597 000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023.
Of the 83 malaria-endemic countries, 25 countries now report fewer than 10 cases of malaria a year, an increase from 4 countries in 2000.
New-generation nets, which provide better protection against malaria than pyrethroid-only nets, are becoming more widely available, supporting efforts to combat mosquito resistance to pyrethroids.
Funding remains a major barrier to future progress Funding for malaria control globally remains inadequate to reverse current trends, especially in high-burden African countries.
Countries are encouraged to adopt strategies that address the root causes of malaria by addressing gender inequities and other determinants of health.
Although an estimated 2 billion cases of malaria and 12 million deaths have been prevented since 2000, according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease is still a major threat to global health, especially in the WHO African Region.
The World Health Organization’s most recent World Malaria Report estimates that there will be 597 000 malaria deaths and 263 million cases globally in 2023. Approximately 11 million more cases and almost the same number of fatalities were reported in 2023 as opposed to 2022. In the WHO African Region, where many at-risk individuals still do not have access to the services necessary to prevent, detect, and treat the disease, about 95% of the deaths took place.
The WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that although malaria should not kill anyone, it still disproportionately affects Africans, particularly pregnant women and young children. Better protection against the disease is now possible thanks to an expanded set of lifesaving tools, but increased funding and action in high-burden African nations are required to reduce the threat. “”.
noticeable advancements in numerous nations.
As of November 2024, the WHO had declared 44 countries and 1 territory malaria-free, and numerous others were making steady progress toward the objective. Out of the 83 countries where malaria is endemic, 25 now report fewer than 10 cases annually, up from 4 in 2000.
Additionally, the malaria mortality rate in the WHO African Region has decreased by 16 percent since 2015. Progress must be accelerated, though, as the projected mortality rate for 2023 of 52.4 deaths per 100,000 at-risk population is still more than twice the goal of 23 deaths per 100,000 established by the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030.
This year, the health ministers of 11 African nations—Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, and Uganda—signed a declaration promising to address the underlying causes of malaria and reduce the disease burden in a sustainable and equitable manner by, among other things, bolstering national health systems, improving coordination, and making sure that information is used strategically. These nations account for two-thirds of the world’s malaria cases.
Using efficient tools more widely gives people new hope.
In addition to increased political will, the broader use of WHO-recommended instruments is expected to spur additional progress in nations where malaria is endemic. As of December 2024, routine childhood vaccination programs in 17 countries had implemented malaria vaccines. It is anticipated that the ongoing expansion of vaccines in Africa will save the lives of tens of thousands of children annually.
In an effort to counteract mosquito resistance to pyrethroids, new-generation nets—which offer superior protection against malaria compared to nets that solely use pyrethroids—are becoming more widely accessible. Compared to 59 percent in 2022, these new net types made up 78 percent of the 195 million nets shipped to sub-Saharan Africa in 2023.
A significant obstacle to further advancement is still funding.
Malaria control funding is still insufficient worldwide to buck the current trend, particularly in high-burden African nations. The Global technical strategy set a funding target of US$ 8.3 billion for 2023, which was far less than the estimated US$ 4 billion in total funding. Significant gaps in the availability of medications, insecticide-treated nets, and other life-saving supplies have resulted from a lack of funding, especially for those who are most at risk from the illness.
In addition to inadequate funding, malaria-endemic nations still face biological threats like drug and insecticide resistance, weakened health systems, and inadequate surveillance. People at higher risk of malaria, such as pregnant women and girls, children under five, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, people with disabilities, and those living in remote areas with limited access to healthcare, are facing more severe health disparities in many places due to conflict, violence, natural disasters, climate change, and population displacement.
Filling the gaps in malaria care by taking action that is focused on equity.
The World Malaria Report for this year emphasizes the necessity of a more efficient and inclusive approach to reach the disease’s most susceptible individuals. WHO advises nations to put primary healthcare first as the cornerstone of just and effective health systems. Countries are urged to implement policies that tackle gender inequality and other health determinants in order to address the underlying causes of malaria.
WHO is also advocating for investments in strong data systems that can track health disparities, including by gathering and analyzing data broken down by age, sex, and other social factors. People who are most affected by malaria should be involved in the development and assessment of new instruments and strategies, with equity, gender equality, and human rights serving as the pillars of antimalarial innovation.
