Malaria Mortality Resumes Pre-Covid Levels, WHO Reports

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Malaria-related deaths have returned to pre-Covid-19 levels, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday, but called for faster progress in the fight against the disease, which claimed nearly 597,000 lives last year.

In its latest report, the WHO estimated that there were 263 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2023, an increase of 11 million compared to the previous year, while the death toll remained stable. However, in terms of mortality rates, “we have come back to pre-pandemic numbers,” said Arnaud Le Menach of the WHO’s Global Malaria Programme.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in malaria control efforts, resulting in an additional 55,000 deaths in 2020. Since then, both the total number of malaria-related deaths and the mortality rate have gradually decreased.

Despite this progress, the WHO noted that the 2023 estimated malaria mortality rate in Africa—52.4 deaths per 100,000 people at risk—remains more than twice the target level set by the global malaria strategy for 2030, urging that “progress must be accelerated.”

A major step forward in the fight against malaria has been the wider rollout of malaria vaccines, expected to save tens of thousands of young lives annually. The two vaccines currently in use, RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M, are promising to significantly reduce malaria burden in Africa, which accounts for nearly 95% of global malaria deaths.

Malaria vaccines were first introduced in April 2019, with Malawi, Kenya, and Ghana as the initial pilot countries. By the end of 2023, nearly two million children in these countries had received the RTS,S vaccine. According to Mary Hamel, head of the WHO’s malaria vaccine team, these pilot programs resulted in a 13% drop in malaria-related mortality over four years.

The WHO is hopeful that similar results will be seen in other countries adopting the vaccine, with 17 sub-Saharan African nations already incorporating the jab into routine immunization programs. An additional eight countries have been approved for funding to introduce the vaccines through the GAVI vaccine alliance.

Another promising development in malaria prevention is the increased availability of new-generation dual-insecticide nets. These nets, treated with both pyrrole and pyrethroid insecticides, have shown significantly better protection against malaria. WHO estimates that these nets have helped prevent 13 million malaria cases and nearly 25,000 deaths over the past three years.

Despite these advancements, the WHO highlighted several challenges hindering progress in malaria control, including inadequate funding, vaccine shortages, and the impact of climate change, which is expanding the range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the need for increased investment and action, particularly in high-burden African countries, to combat the growing threat.

Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund, echoed these concerns, noting that “progress has stagnated for several years.” He emphasized that overcoming this stagnation will require a dual approach: investing in new technologies while also addressing the strain climate change places on healthcare systems.

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