Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute Jane Carlton has disclosed that its 2025 World Malaria Report shows a sharp rise in global malaria cases and deaths, with African countries, including Malawi, bearing the heaviest burden.
According to the report, malaria cases increased from 273 million in 2023 to 282 million in 2024, representing an additional nine million infections.
Cases of death also rose significantly, from 578,000 in 2023 to 610,000 in 2024.
Carlton said the reversal in progress reflected a combination of reduced global funding, weakened health systems and growing challenges in malaria-endemic countries.
She said Global investment in malaria control in 2024 totalled just under $4 billion, far below the $9.3 billion the WHO says is required annually.
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More than 90 percent of malaria deaths occur in Africa, and most of these are among children under the age of five.
“The increase in deaths is heartbreaking. Every year, we hope to see fewer cases but this report shows we are moving in the wrong direction,” she said.
According to the Severe Malaria Observatory 2023, Malawi saw significant malaria impact, with estimates suggesting around 7,376 deaths, alongside millions of cases (over 6.4 million recorded).
Despite the worrying trends, WHO says malaria vaccines are showing promising results across the continent.
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Meanwhile, health rights advocate Maziko Matemba has expressed worry over recent reductions in US global health funding, particularly after the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)—one of the biggest donors—was disbanded earlier this year.
“Decades of progress are at risk. Evidence shows that whenever funding is cut, malaria quickly resurges,” he said.
He added that next year’s WHO malaria report will give a clearer picture of how the funding cuts are affecting malaria control efforts worldwide
