Malaria Deaths Near 600,000 in 2023 as Africa Bears 95% of Global Toll
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports malaria claimed 597,000 lives in 2023, with 94% of cases (246 million) and 95% of deaths concentrated in Africa, Anadolu Agency reported. Children under five accounted for 76% of fatalities, while 12.4 million pregnant women in high-risk African countries contracted the disease.
Five nations—Nigeria, DR Congo, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Mozambique—represented over half of global cases. Despite progress, challenges persist: mutant parasites resistant to diagnostics spread to 41 countries, and funding gaps threaten 2025 elimination targets requiring $9.3 billion.
Prevention efforts, including insecticide-treated nets and vaccines like R21/Matrix-M (approved in 2023), have averted 2.2 billion cases since 2000. Latin America saw 77% of cases in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Bolivia, while Europe remained malaria-free.
WHO warns stagnant funding and climate-linked mosquito habitat expansion risk reversing gains. World Malaria Day (April 25) highlights urgent need for equitable healthcare access in endemic regions.
