World Malaria Report 2022 was released by the World Health Organization.
The report highlights the progress towards the global targets and identifies opportunities and challenges for curbing and eliminating malaria.
High-burden malaria countries witnessed the stabilization of malaria cases and deaths in 2021.
The number of deaths has declined from 625,000 in 2020 to 619,000 in 2021.
However, the number is higher than the pre-pandemic levels (568,000 deaths in 2019).
Among the 11 high-burden countries, 5 (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, India, Niger, and Tanzania) have recorded a decline in the number of deaths caused by malaria.
The WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030 sought to reduce malaria case incidence and mortality rate by at least 40 percent by 2020, at least 75 percent by 2025 and at least 90 percent by 2030 against a 2015 baseline.
Malaria case incidence was 48 percent off track in 2021.
During that year, 59 cases per 1,000 people were at risk, higher than the target of 31.
Death incidence was also 48 percent off track (14.8 in 2021 against a target of 7.8).
If this trend persists, the world will be 88 percent off target in its fight to eliminate malaria.