The big push to end malaria: Progress, challenges, and the road ahead

PATH - Tremendous progress has been made in the fight against malaria, but the battle is far from over. What will it take to re-energize global efforts to end the disease?

Published: 29 April 2025 11:38

Since 2000, malaria control programs have prevented 2.2 billion cases and 12.7 million deaths worldwide. In 2023 alone, over 177 million cases and 1 million deaths were averted. The most significant progress was made in sub-Saharan Africa, where 80% of cases and 94% of deaths were averted. This is a remarkable achievement, but despite this progress, malaria remains a major public health challenge, particularly in Africa, where the disease is so deadly that one person is estimated to die from it every minute.

In 2023, 47 of the 83 malaria-endemic countries reported fewer than 10,000 cases, and 45 countries and territories have been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO). These milestones highlight the potential for malaria elimination, particularly when there is adequate financing, strong political commitment, multisectoral collaboration, and community engagement.

Despite these successes, the battle against malaria is far from over. In 2023, there were an estimated 263 million new malaria cases globally, an increase from 252 million in 2022. The global death toll from malaria rose to 597,000 in 2023, up from 578,000 in 2015.

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