Brazil Says It Has Lowest Malaria Case Rate Since 1978

Overview

• The Ministry of Health announced large national declines in malaria and reported a 30% fall in deaths in 2025, with officials calling the current case rate the lowest since 1978.
• Officials credit the single‑dose antirelapse drug tafenoquine and expanded diagnosis and treatment for the reduction in relapses and cases across the country.
• Tafenoquine was added to Brazil’s public health system in 2023, its single‑dose public use expanded in 2024, and a pediatric formulation was rolled out in 2026 with 1,446 children treated through June.
• Targeted work in the Yanomami territory produced steep local drops with relapses down about 62% for March–June 2026 versus 2025 and total cases down 55% for January–July 2026 versus the prior year.
• Official program counts show more than 33,700 people treated with tafenoquine through June 2026 but the ministry’s public online data only go back to 2007, so independent verification and longer surveillance are needed to confirm the 1978 comparison and long‑term impact.