On World Malaria Day (25 April 2017), WHO is shining a spotlight on prevention, the cornerstone of malaria control efforts globally.
Global and Regional disease burden
As World Malaria Day 2017 approaches, there is much to celebrate. According to the latest estimates from WHO:
- New malaria cases fell by 21% between 2010 and 2015 worldwide. Malaria death rates fell by 29% in the same 5-year period.
Between 2010 and 2015, many regions made impressive progress in reducing their malaria burden.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease remains heavily concentrated, malaria case incidence and death rates fell by 21% and 31%, respectively, over this 5-year period.
- In 2015, the European Region was malaria-free: all 53 countries in the region reported at least 1 year of zero locally-acquired cases of malaria
The Way forward
Recent success in the malaria fight has shown that prevention works.
- Expanding access to WHO-recommended prevention tools has significantly reduced the global malaria burden.
Robust investments in proven prevention tools will continue to accelerate progress in malaria-affected countries towards elimination.
- These investments will contribute to other health-related Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. reducing maternal and child mortality) and to the wider sustainable development agenda.
WHO is calling, in parallel, for greater investment in the development and deployment of new tools to speed progress towards global malaria targets. With the required resources, and all partners united, we can transform our common vision – “End Malaria for Good” – into a shared reality.
