Global Malaria Crisis Worsens in 2024
Recent Developments
01WHO’s World Malaria Report 2025 estimated 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024, both higher than in 2023.
02WHO said the African Region accounted for 94% of global cases and 95% of global deaths in 2024, with 75% of deaths in the region among children under 5.
03WHO reported that 47 countries and one territory are now certified malaria-free, including countries certified in 2024 and 2025.
04WHO warned that artemisinin partial resistance is confirmed in four African countries and that insecticide resistance is widespread across reporting countries.
05WHO reported a major financing shortfall, with 2024 malaria funding at US$3.9 billion versus a US$9.3 billion target for 2025, leaving a projected US$5.4 billion gap.
Interventions
- WHO-led malaria surveillance, treatment guidance, and elimination certification efforts in endemic and near-elimination countries.
- Bed-net distribution and vector control programs, including widespread use of insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, supported by national malaria programs and partners.
- Global financing and implementation support through major malaria donors and partners, including the Global Fund and related health agencies referenced in current malaria response efforts.
What Works
- Rapid diagnosis and prompt treatment with effective antimalarial medicines remain central to reducing deaths and transmission.
- Insecticide-treated bed nets and other vector-control measures have contributed to the large cumulative gains WHO reports since 2000, including 2.3 billion cases and 14 million deaths averted.
- Sustained elimination campaigns can work: WHO reports 47 countries and one territory have achieved malaria-free certification.
How to Help
- Donate to organizations supporting malaria control, elimination, and emergency response, such as WHO-partnered global health and malaria programs.
- Support local or international NGOs working on bed-net delivery, testing, treatment access, and surveillance in high-burden countries.
- Advocate for increased malaria funding and sustained global health financing to close the US$5.4 billion gap identified by WHO.
Make an Impact
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Verified Organizations
Organizations Helping(24)
MSF’s strategy is to deliver *direct, fast, and independent* medical assistance in places where people are in immediate danger and routine health systems cannot function.[2][4][6] The organization emphasizes medical impartiality and neutrality, meaning it treats people according to need rather than nationality, politics, religion, or other status markers, and it relies on financial independence to reduce external influence over its work.[4][6] Operationally, MSF combines rapid emergency deployment with long-term field presence when crises become protracted.[1][4][6] Teams of clinicians, logisticians, epidemiologists, mental health specialists, and other staff adapt services to local conditions, often working alongside local personnel in highly insecure environments; MSF also uses public advocacy when it believes witness testimony and pressure are needed to improve access to care or address systemic barriers.[1][4][5][6]
ALMA drives malaria elimination by fostering high-level political commitment, tracking progress through a scorecard system, and promoting accountability among member states. It supports national malaria programs by mobilizing resources, encouraging youth engagement in malaria control, and facilitating cross-country collaboration to implement effective malaria interventions continent-wide.
Target Malaria uses gene drive technology to reduce or modify populations of Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria. By lowering mosquito populations or altering their ability to carry the parasite, the project aims to reduce malaria transmission sustainably. Their approach involves rigorous scientific research, community engagement, and regulatory compliance to ensure safe and effective deployment.
Jhpiego leads the STOP-AMDR project to combat antimalarial drug resistance by promoting the use of multiple first-line therapies (MFT) to diversify treatment options. This approach aims to reduce the spread of resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in East Africa, thereby preserving the efficacy of frontline malaria treatments and sustaining progress against malaria.
