In recent news, a new alarming study highlights the alarming rise of malaria globally. According to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria cases increased by 11 million in 2023, reaching an estimated 263 million people infected. This increase highlights another year of limited progress in the fight against this deadly disease, which continues to cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.
Malaria caused 597,000 deaths in 2023, a figure comparable to the previous year. The vast majority of these deaths were children under five in Africa, as highlighted in the WHO report.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “No one should die from malaria; yet the disease continues to disproportionately affect people living in Africa, particularly young children and pregnant women.”
Since 2015, progress in the fight against malaria has stalled. Between 2000 and 2015, malaria cases and deaths had declined significantly. However, this trend has reversed in recent years, with challenges compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of cases per 1,000 people at risk increased from 58 in 2015 to 60.4 in 2023, almost three times the WHO target. Similarly, there were 13.7 deaths per 100,000 people at risk, more than double the target set by the organization.
The fight against malaria is hampered by many challenges, such as climate change, conflict, population displacement, drug and insecticide resistance, and lack of funding. The report highlights that only $4 billion has been allocated to malaria control in 2023, less than half of the estimated $8.3 billion needed.
Despite these challenges, some countries have made significant progress, demonstrating the potential of effective interventions with adequate resources.
WHO’s findings highlight the urgent need to redouble global efforts and invest more to combat malaria, which remains one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers. This alert reinforces the importance of collective mobilization to counter this threat and protect the most vulnerable populations, particularly in Africa.