Overview
- WHO’s latest report estimates 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024, which is 12,000 more deaths than in 2023.
- Africa accounted for about 95% of global malaria deaths, with Madagascar, Ethiopia and Yemen responsible for 85% of the year-over-year increase.
- WHO links the rise to population growth, conflict and extreme weather that disrupted bed-net campaigns, testing and timely treatment.
- Key tools are losing ground as parasites show partial resistance to artemisinin, rapid tests miss more cases due to genetic shifts, and mosquitoes survive more insecticides.
- Control efforts rely heavily on donors, with the United States providing 37% of 2010–2024 funding, while 2024 R&D reached $736 million and WHO warns that new 2025 cuts risk further setbacks.