Ending Malaria In Africa: 5 Essential Reads On Gains And Challenges
A nurse prepares a dose of vaccine against malaria at a district hospital in Cameroon. Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images BY WALE FATADE Malaria, a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes, is preventable and curable. The World Malaria Report 2025 shows that in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 malaria deaths in 80 countries. Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2024 , Africa accounted for 95% of malaria cases (265 million) and 95% (579,000) of malaria deaths. Children under five accounted for about 75% of all malaria deaths in the region. Over half of all deaths in Africa occurred in three countries : Nigeria (31.9%), the Democratic Republic of Congo (11.7%) and Niger (6.1%). But there have been some positive developments. One is the first malaria treatment for babies and very young children of two months up to five years. This was approved for use by a Swiss agency for therapeutic...
