Dec 06, 2025
3 min read
This year's report provides an important and up-to-date picture of malaria control and eradication efforts in 80 countries.The report also presents the threat posed by malaria resistance and its impact.
Widespread use of new tools to fight malaria, including double-edged mosquito nets and recommended vaccines, will help prevent an estimated 170 million cases and 1 million deaths by 2024, according to the annual World Malaria Report.
- Recommended tools are increasingly integrated into broader sound systems.Since the world's first malaria vaccine was approved in 2021, 24 countries have introduced vaccines in their routine immunization programs.Seasonal Chemoprevention of Malaria is also expanded and is now implemented in 20 countries, reached 54 million children in 2024, an increase of about 0.2 million in 2012.
Malaria continues to be eradicated.To date, a total of 47 countries and 1 region have been confirmed with meaningful work, and the country will grow in 2024.
These deaths are due to children under the age of 5, because the resistance to malaria increases and stops.
"New tools to prevent malaria give us new hope, but we still face huge challenges," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General."The growing number of cases and deaths, the growing threat of drug resistance and the impact of funding cuts threaten to reverse the progress we have made over the past two decades. However, none of these challenges are insurmountable. With high-impact leadership and targeted investment, the vision of a malaria-free world remains possible."
The World Malaria Report highlights evidence of partial resistance to artemisinin derivatives, which have become the backbone of malaria treatments after the failures of chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine.Resistance to antimalarial drugs is now confirmed or suspected in at least 8 countries in Africa, and there are possible signs of reduced effectiveness of drugs that are combined with artemisinin.
Progress in reducing malaria deaths – a key goal of the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 – remains far off track.In 2024, there were 610,000 deaths.This corresponds to 13.8 malaria cases per 100,000 population, which is more than three times the global target of 4.5 deaths per 100,000 population.
Complex development challenges
This year's report highlights the increasing number of risks to malaria discrimination efforts by increasing the threat of drug abuse.
Malaria parasites with a deletion of the pfhrp2 gene remain widespread. This undermines the reliability of rapid diagnostic tests. Meanwhile, pyrethroid resistance confirmed in 48 countries simultaneously reduces the effectiveness of insecticide-treated bed nets. Anopheles Stephen C., which is resistant to many common pesticides, has invaded nine countries in Africa. This poses serious challenges for urban malaria control.
Beyond biological threats, extreme weather events have increased malaria incidence.Changes in temperature and precipitation are altering mosquito habitats and thus transmission patterns.
Conflict and instability in affected regions also lead to widespread disruption of health services, limiting access to care and delaying timely diagnosis and treatment.
This problem is further exacerbated by the stagnation of global funding over the past decade, which limits the reach of life-saving interventions.In 2024, $3.9 billion was invested in the malaria response, but this represented less than half of the 2025 funding target of $9.3 billion set by the Global Technical Strategy.
Recent cuts in Official Development Assistance (ODA) have severely strained health systems, undermined systematic surveillance and forced the cancellation or postponement of most planned malaria screenings.These cuts also increased the risk of stock shortages and delays in malaria campaigns, reducing the effectiveness of the program.
A developed country, the partner replied
"The global malaria message is clear: drug resistance is moving forward. Our response must be equally clear – new drugs with new mechanisms of action," said Malaria Venture for Medicines CEO Dr.Martin Fitchett said.We can overcome resistance and deliver new drugs to ensure malaria is no longer a threat.
Political commitments must be translated into measures and actions that have a sustainable and equitable impact.Encourages malaria-endemic countries to maintain their political commitments to end malaria deaths as outlined in the Yaounde Declaration.Unity and action under the Big Push initiative will help the global malaria community mitigate current and future threats to achieve a malaria-free future.
