by Antoinette Stafford Cloete (Health Systems Trust Communications Manager)
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were approximately 263 million cases of malaria in 2023 with 597 000 malaria deaths in 83 countries. The Africa region is most affected by this disease with about 94% of all cases. About 76% of all deaths from malaria in the region were amongst children under five years of age.
In 2025, the WHO, with other key partners, is working towards the elimination of the disease through the call that, "Malaria Ends with Us: [to] Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite".
What is Malaria?
Malaria is a disease that can be life-threatening. Symptoms can range from feeling fatigued, a fever and chills accompanied by a headache to confusion, seizures and difficulty breathing. Those most at risk of contracting the disease and developing a severe infection are young children, pregnant women and girls, travellers and people who are immuno-compromised such as HIV-positive individuals. If left untreated the disease can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours.
Transmission
It is spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes (infected female Anopheles mosquitoes), mainly found in tropical climates and is not spread by human-to-human contact. Contaminated needles and blood transfusion may also transmit malaria.
Malaria can also spread through a parasite from the Plasmodium species.
Prevention
The disease can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medication. Travellers should always consult their health practitioner before travelling to a high-risk area about prophylactic (precautionary) medication. You can also lower your risk of contracting the disease by:
- Using mosquito nets when sleeping in places where malaria is endemic (a place where a disease is generally present in a population year-round).
- Using repellants, especially after sunset when mosquitoes are more prevalent.
- Using coils and vaporisers. There are eco-friendly options available.
- Wearing protective clothing.
- Having screens over your windows.
Preventive Therapies
The use of medications, either alone or in combination, to stop malaria infections and their effects is known as preventive chemotherapy. It entails providing susceptible persons, whether or not they are afflicted with malaria, with a complete course of antimalarial medication at specific intervals throughout the peak malarial risk period. Preventive therapies are increasingly being adopted in the fight against the disease as well as drug resistance when already sick with malaria. This strategy is viewed as being more cost-effective when coupled with early diagnosis and treatment of malaria as well as vector control.
Vaccines
The WHO has recommended a malaria vaccine, especially for children, since October 2021. The vaccine has shown significant reductions in malaria in the under-five years of age population. Vaccines are now being rolled out as part of routine childhood immunisation programmes across Africa in countries like Nigeria. It is estimated that tens of thousands of children will be saved in this way every year.
The WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030 provides a technical framework for countries battling with the disease. It can be used as a guide towards malaria control and elimination. The strategy aims to assist countries with:
- Reducing malaria incidence by at least 90% by 2030
- Reducing malaria mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030
- Eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030
- Preventing a resurgence in countries that are malaria-free.
For this to happen the WHO endeavours to play a leading role in malaria control and elimination by supporting its member states to reach universal health coverage and to achieve the goals of the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria.
The disease is preventable as well as curable and requires the political will of nations, concerted health promotion and education efforts to create awareness and a multi-pronged approach consisting of early detection, treatment and prevention.