World Malaria Day 2024 in Africa: Advancing the Battle Against Malaria for a Fairer World

On this year’s World Malaria Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has teamed up with the RBM Partnership and other partners to emphasize the crucial need for advancing health equity, gender equality, and human rights in malaria responses globally.

Despite the commendable efforts of national malaria programs and their partners in promoting prevention and control measures, malaria continues to pose a significant global health challenge, particularly affecting vulnerable populations. Young children in sub-Saharan Africa’s poorest households, pregnant women, refugees, migrants, internally displaced individuals, and Indigenous Peoples are among those at higher risk of contracting malaria.

In 2022, an estimated 608,000 people worldwide lost their lives to malaria, with 249 million new cases reported. The stagnation of progress towards global malaria targets, as highlighted in WHO’s annual World malaria report since 2017, underscores the urgent need for enhanced efforts.

To address health inequities and reduce malaria in high-burden countries, the “High burden to high impact” (HBHI) approach was initiated in 2018 by WHO and the RBM Partnership. Ministers of Health from HBHI countries recently signed the Yaoundé Declaration, committing to accelerating efforts to reduce malaria deaths and address root causes of stagnating progress.

In low-burden settings, health inequities are impeding the elimination of malaria, with cases concentrated among vulnerable populations like mobile workers, refugees, and indigenous communities. WHO and partners are advocating for targeted, gender-responsive interventions to achieve a malaria-free world.

The fight against malaria can be bolstered through universal health coverage, ensuring access to essential health services without financial hardship. WHO’s new operational strategy emphasizes health equity, gender equality, and human rights as foundational principles in the battle against malaria. Strengthening health systems and prioritizing interventions for marginalized populations are key steps towards achieving global malaria targets.