On World Malaria Day, 25 April 2025, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging renewed efforts at all levels—from global leaders to local communities—to speed up progress towards malaria elimination.

Since 2000, strong global collaboration has saved nearly 13 million lives and prevented more than 2 billion malaria cases. WHO has so far certified 45 countries and 1 territory as malaria-free, and many countries with low malaria burdens continue moving steadily toward elimination. Of the remaining 83 malaria-endemic countries, 25 reported fewer than 10 cases in 2023.

However, these hard-won gains are fragile. "The history of malaria teaches us a harsh lesson: when we divert our attention, the disease resurges, taking its greatest toll on the most vulnerable," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "But the same history also shows us what's possible: with strong political commitment, sustained investment, multisectoral action and community engagement, malaria can be defeated."

New tools, new progress: Years of investment in the development and deployment of new tools and malaria vaccines are paying off.

On World Malaria Day, Mali joins 19 other African countries in introducing malaria vaccines—a major step in protecting young children from one of Africa's deadliest diseases. The large-scale rollout of malaria vaccines is expected to save tens of thousands of young lives each year.

Meanwhile, a new generation of insecticide-treated nets is helping lower disease burden. According to the latest World Malaria Report, these nets—which are more effective than standard pyrethroid-only nets—made up nearly 80% of all nets delivered in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, up from 59% the previous year.

Progress under threat: Despite these advances, malaria remains a major health challenge, killing nearly 600,000 people in 2023 alone. The African Region shoulders about 95% of the global malaria burden each year.

Progress is being hampered by fragile health systems, growing drug and insecticide resistance, and lack of access to essential malaria services for many at-risk groups. Climate change, conflict, poverty, and population displacement are worsening these challenges.

WHO has also warned that funding cuts expected in 2025 could further derail progress. Of the 64 WHO country offices in malaria-endemic countries surveyed recently, over half reported moderate or severe disruptions to malaria services.

Reinvest, reimagine, reignite: Under the 2025 theme, "Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite", the WHO calls for stronger political and financial commitments to protect the hard-won progress against malaria.

To reinvest, WHO urges malaria-endemic countries to boost domestic funding, especially in primary health care, to ensure all at-risk groups can access malaria prevention, detection, and treatment services. Successful replenishments of the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are also vital to financing malaria efforts and achieving the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 targets.

A reimagined response is needed, involving innovative tools, new drugs, better service delivery methods, improved diagnostics, and advanced vector control strategies.

More countries are making malaria elimination a national priority. In March 2024, African ministers of health from 11 high-burden countries signed the Yaoundé Declaration, pledging to strengthen health systems, step up domestic resources, promote multisectoral action, and establish robust accountability mechanisms.

"This is the kind of leadership the world must rally behind," said Dr Daniel Ngamije, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme.

Reigniting commitment at all levels—from communities and health workers to governments, researchers, innovators, and donors—is critical to defeating malaria for good.

Source: World Health Organisation