Malaria deaths have returned to pre-COVID levels, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that progress in combating the disease remains too slow. In 2023, there were 263 million malaria cases globally, an increase of 11 million cases compared to the previous year. While the death toll has remained relatively stable, malaria continues to be a significant health challenge, killing 597,000 people in 2023, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for up to 95% of global deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on malaria control efforts, with disruptions in health services leading to an additional 55,000 malaria-related deaths in 2020. However, since then, there has been a steady decline in both malaria-related deaths and mortality rates, reflecting ongoing efforts to address the disease.
A promising development in the fight against malaria is the wider rollout of malaria vaccines. The RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M vaccines are currently being used in parts of Africa, with the first malaria vaccine, RTS,S, rolled out in Malawi in 2019 and later expanded to Kenya and Ghana. These vaccines are expected to save tens of thousands of young lives each year and provide an important tool in malaria control, alongside traditional methods such as insecticide-treated bed nets and antimalarial drugs.
Despite these advancements, WHO emphasizes that the pace of progress remains insufficient, and more effort is needed to reduce malaria’s burden, especially in high-risk regions like sub-Saharan Africa.
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