The WHO report reveals that global malaria cases surged to 249 million in 2022,
It was surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 16 million.
The global malaria response faces numerous challenges, including COVID-19 disruptions, drug and insecticide resistance, humanitarian crises, resource constraints, and climate change impacts.
The report acknowledges achievements, including the first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01.
The recent recommendation of a second vaccine is R21/Matrix-M.
Four countries, Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), and Mozambique (4%), accounted for almost half of all malaria cases globally.
In 2022, India accounted for a staggering 66% of malaria cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region.
Plasmodium vivax, a protozoal parasite, contributed to almost 46% of cases in the region.
India and Indonesia accounted for about 94% of all malaria deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region.
Africa bears the highest malaria burden, accounting for 94% of cases and 95% of global malaria deaths in 2022.
WHO aimed to reduce malaria incidence and mortality rates by 75% in 2025 and 90% in 2030.