Global Malaria Cases, Deaths Rising - 263 Million & 600,000, Respectively; $4 Billion Could Close Health Funding Gap

Malaria killed almost 600,000 people in 2023, as cases rose for the fifth consecutive year, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Biological threats such as rising resistance to drugs and insecticides, and climate and humanitarian disasters continue to hamper control efforts, world health leaders warned. Globally, there were 263m cases last year, 11m more than the previous year; the vast majority (94%) occurred in Africa.

Officials said a $4.3bn (£3.4bn) annual funding shortfall was among further challenges, which also include the spread of a new insecticide-resistant species of mosquito, genetic mutations in the malaria parasite that stop tests working, and the emergence of a new type of malaria parasite in south-east Asia.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said: “No one should die of malaria; yet the disease continues to disproportionately harm people living in the African region, especially young children and pregnant women.”

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Meanwhile, the climate crisis is increasing rates of extreme weather events that cause flooding, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes and disrupting access to healthcare in countries such as Pakistan and Madagascar, the report said. Earlier this month British health officials warned that they were seeing rising numbers of malaria cases in travellers returning to the UK. In 2023, there were 2,106 cases of imported malaria, up 26% on the 1,555 reported in 2022. Six people died from the illness. Provisional figures recorded 753 cases in the first half of 2024.

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https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/dec/11/global-health-deaths-malaria-rise-drug-insecticide-resistance-climate-crisis-funding-un