The 2021 annual World Malaria Report from the World Health Organisation shows that malaria deaths have risen year-on-year, to 627,000 in 2020, the highest level in nearly a decade.
Thanks to big efforts from countries, partners and community health workers the world managed to avert the WHO’s projected worst-case scenario of a doubling of malaria deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic – highlighting the effectiveness of global investments in malaria prevention control and elimination.
Still, this 12% increase in malaria deaths represents a devastating loss of life from a preventable and treatable disease.
Children under 5 in Africa continue to bear the brunt of malaria, accounting for 80% of malaria deaths on the continent in 2020. Around 481,500 children under 5 lost their lives to this deadly disease in Africa over the last year alone.
For the last two decades, we’ve seen a child die every 2 minutes from malaria but this new report shows that a child is now dying every minute from malaria.
We can do something about this. We know how to end malaria.
Since 2000, 10.6 million lives have been saved and 1.7 billion cases have been prevented as a result of strong political will and new and effective interventions. Going forward, game-changing science and innovation still have a huge role to play. British-backed science- such as the quest for an effective and affordable malaria vaccine, and the development of new techniques to combat drug and insecticide resistance –are transforming the fight against this deadly disease.
The UK Government must reaffirm its leading role in the malaria fight to ensure 2022 is the year that progress against malaria gets back on track.
