By Ayomide Otitoju
The wider deployment of new malaria prevention tools, including dual-ingredient insecticide-treated nets and WHO-recommended vaccines, helped avert an estimated 170 million cases and 1 million deaths in 2024, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual World Malaria Report.
Since WHO approved the first malaria vaccines in 2021, 24 countries have integrated them into routine immunization programmes. Seasonal malaria chemoprevention also expanded to 20 countries in 2024, reaching 54 million children—up from just 0.2 million in 2012.
Progress in malaria elimination continues. As of 2025, 47 countries and one territory have been certified malaria-free. Cabo Verde and Egypt achieved malaria-free status in 2024, with Georgia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste joining in 2025.
Despite these gains, malaria remains a major health threat, with an estimated 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024—an increase of roughly 9 million cases from the previous year. Approximately 95% of these deaths occurred in the WHO African Region, mostly among children under five.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted ongoing challenges, including drug resistance, funding shortfalls, and rising case numbers. “New tools for malaria prevention give us hope, but we still face significant challenges,” he said. “With leadership from affected countries and targeted investment, a malaria-free world remains achievable.”
The report notes growing antimalarial drug resistance, particularly to artemisinin derivatives, which are central to current treatments. Resistance has been confirmed or suspected in at least eight African countries, alongside declining efficacy of combination therapies.
Other biological threats include pfhrp2 gene deletions in parasites that reduce the reliability of rapid diagnostic tests, pyrethroid resistance in 48 countries affecting insecticide-treated nets, and the spread of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes to nine African nations, complicating urban malaria control.
Environmental and socio-political factors further exacerbate malaria risks. Extreme weather events, conflict, and instability disrupt health services, delaying diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, global funding has plateaued, with US$3.9 billion invested in 2024—less than half of the US$9.3 billion target set by the Global Technical Strategy for 2025. Recent reductions in Official Development Assistance (ODA) have further weakened surveillance and intervention campaigns.
Dr. Martin Fitchet, CEO of Medicines for Malaria Venture, stressed the need for innovation to counter drug resistance. He highlighted the development of Ganaplacide–Lumefantrine, the first non-artemisinin combination therapy, as a milestone in malaria treatment.
WHO urges endemic countries to uphold political commitments, strengthen funding, and implement sustainable interventions under initiatives like the Yaoundé Declaration and the Big Push, emphasizing that unity and targeted action are critical to achieving a malaria-free future
