World Malaria Report 2024

The World Health Organi-sation (WHO) South East Asia Region contributes about 1.5% of the burden of malaria cases globally and India accounted for about half of all estimated cases in 2023, followed by Indo-nesia, which carried just under one-third.

• India and Indonesia accounted for about 88% of malaria deaths in the region.
• This is according to the WHO’s latest World Malaria Report (2024) released on 11 December 2024.

Key Highlights

Global Overview

• Cases: Malaria cases reached an estimated 263 million in 2023 across 83 countries, up from 252 million in 2022 and 226 million in 2015.
• Deaths: Malaria deaths climbed to 597,000 in 2023, up from 578,000 in 2015. However, the mortality rate has decreased since the COVID-19 peak in 2020, which caused significant disruptions.
• Africa: Continues to bear 94% of global malaria cases and 95% of deaths in 2023.

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India’s Performance

• India successfully exited the HBHI initiative in 2024. Between 2017 and 2023, malaria cases in India dropped by 69% (from 6.4 million to 2 million), and deaths fell by 68% (from 11,100 to 3,500).

Emerging Threats

• Drug Resistance: Partial resistance to artemisinin, a key malaria treatment, has been confirmed in Eritrea, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania, with suspected cases in Ethiopia and Sudan.
• Insecticide Resistance: Pyrethroid resistance has been reported in 55 of 64 monitored countries, prompting WHO to recommend next-generation insecticide-treated nets.
• Invasive Species: The Anopheles stephensi mosquito, known for thriving in urban areas, has expanded to eight African countries, complicating malaria control efforts.
• Zoonotic Malaria: Cases of P. knowlesi, a zoonotic malaria parasite, rose by 19% in 2023, with 3,290 reported cases in Southeast Asia.

About Malaria Disease

• Type of disease: Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes and caused by plasmodium protozoa. 
• Prevalence: It poses a life-threatening risk, primarily affecting tropical and subtropical regions in Africa, South America, and Asia.
• Cause:
  • This disease is caused by plasmodium parasites, which spread through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. 
  • These parasites multiply initially in liver cells and then attack Red 
• Transmission: Not contagious; Cannot spread from one person to another
• Man does not develop immunity to malaria during natural infection.
• Yaounde Declaration
  • Species and Threat: Five parasite species cause malaria in humans, with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax posing the most significant threat.

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Vector-borne diseases

• Vector-borne diseases:  Account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 700 000 deaths annually. 
  • They can be caused by either parasites, bacteria or viruses.
  • Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious pathogens between humans, or from animals to humans.
• Malaria: Parasitic infection transmitted by Anopheline mosquitoes. 
• Dengue:  Most prevalent viral infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. 
• Other viral diseases transmitted by vectors include:  Chikungunya fever, Zika virus fever, yellow fever, West Nile fever, Japanese encephalitis (all transmitted by mosquitoes), tick-borne encephalitis (transmitted by ticks) and Oropouche fever (transmitted by Culicoides flies)
• The burden of these diseases is highest in tropical and subtropical areas.