World Malaria Day 2024 Highlights Progress and Challenges in Fight Against Deadly Disease

World Malaria Day, observed annually on April 25th, aims to raise global awareness about the ongoing fight against malaria, a serious mosquito-borne disease that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations in Africa and other regions. This year's theme, "Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world," emphasizes the need to address inequities in access to malaria prevention, detection, and treatment services.

Despite significant progress over the past two decades, with 2.1 billion malaria cases and 11.7 million deaths averted since 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that advancements in reducing malaria have stalled in recent years. In 2022, there were approximately 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths across 85 countries, with Africa bearing the largest burden, accounting for 94% of cases and 95% of deaths.

Why this matters: Malaria remains a leading cause of death in children and adults, especially in Africa, with pregnant women and children under five facing severe health consequences. Tackling inequities in access to malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is vital to protect vulnerable populations and accelerate progress towards global malaria elimination goals.

The WHO and its partners are working to tackle health inequities through initiatives like the "High burden to high impact" (HBHI) approach, which aims to identify and reach those who suffer most from malaria. Ministers of Health from HBHI countries have pledged to accelerate efforts to reduce malaria deaths and address the root causes of stagnating progress, such as low access to health services and gender-related barriers.

Milestones in the fight against malaria include the certification of Cabo Verde as malaria-free in 2024 and the approval of two malaria vaccines, RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M, for rollout in 19 African countries in 2023. The WHO African Region is supporting the equitable deployment of these vaccines through the Accelerated Malaria Vaccine Introduction and Rollout in Africa (AMVIRA) initiative.

Community health workers play a vital role in improving access to malaria prevention and treatment services. In Côte d'Ivoire, a team of 8,300 community health workers equipped with bikes are helping to reduce malaria mortality among children under five by diagnosing and treating the disease earlier. Their efforts have led to a significant drop in malaria cases in the communities they serve.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the importance of sustained efforts and innovation in the fight against malaria: "On World Malaria Day today, I call on countries and communities affected by malaria to work closely with development partners to advance our common goal of a world free of malaria. Together, we can accelerate our efforts to achieve the targets and milestones set out in the WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030."

Key Takeaways

• World Malaria Day 2024 theme: Accelerating fight against malaria for equity.
• Malaria progress stalled in recent years, with 249M cases and 608K deaths in 2022.
• Tackling inequities in malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is vital.
• Cabo Verde certified malaria-free, 2 malaria vaccines approved for rollout in Africa.
• Community health workers play key role in reducing malaria mortality in Côte d'Ivoire.