According to a new report from the World Health Organization, the fight against malaria is at risk of being lost, with cases of the disease rising by around 5 million year-on-year in 2022, surpassing global containment targets. Pandemic-related disruptions and extreme weather events linked to climate change have posed significant challenges to efforts to combat malaria in recent years.
Progress in the fight against malaria has been hindered by rising drug and insecticide resistance, conflict, and a significant funding gap. The report also revealed that the global malaria case incidence exceeded the WHO’s target, with 249 million estimated cases in 2022, and progress towards the 2025 milestone is 55% off track.
Malaria cases surged in areas where extreme weather events occurred, with floods in Pakistan leading to a five-fold increase in cases. The report also highlighted a steady decline in malaria deaths between 2000 and 2019, but a rise in deaths during the pandemic, with an estimated 608,000 people dying of the disease last year.
While new malaria vaccines provide hope, the report emphasized the need to bridge the significant funding gap in the response. The global effort to tackle malaria received $4.1 billion in investment in 2022, but approximately $7.8 billion is needed to effectively combat the disease.
Overall, the report warns that the world is at risk of losing the fight against malaria and calls for urgent action to prevent a resurgence of the disease.
(Reporting by Pratik Jain and Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Pooja Desai and Barbara Lewis)
