Key facts:

• 249m malaria cases globally
• 608K deaths in 85 countries
• 233m cases in Africa
• Nigeria accounts for 26.8% of deaths in Africa

April 25 every year is set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as World Malaria Day to stress the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment to malaria prevention and control.

The idea was conceptualized by WHO Member States during the World Health Assembly of 2007.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes. It is mostly found in tropical countries. It is preventable and curable.

The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person.

Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms are fever, chills, and headache. Severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing.

According to the United Nations health agency, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608, 000 fatalities in 85 countries across the globe in 2022.

Africa, the second largest continent after Asia, carried a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden.

The continent was home to 233 million or 94 percent of global malaria cases and 580,000 (95 percent) malaria deaths respectively during the period.

Children under 5 accounted for about 80 percent of all malaria deaths in Africa.

Four countries – Nigeria (26.8 percent), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.3 percent), Uganda (5.1 percent), and Mozambique (4.2 percent) – accounted for the bulk of malaria deaths in Africa during the period in question.

For this year’s event, the theme is: “Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.”

The essence of the 2024 campaign is to develop concrete measures to overcome all barriers to effective response against malaria across the world this year and beyond.