Malaria Kills 6.1 Lakh in 2024, Cases Jump Again: WHO Warns Drug Resistance Could Undo 20 Years of Progress

Malaria infected an estimated 282 million people worldwide and claimed 6,10,000 lives in 2024, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual World Malaria Report. The report highlights drug resistance as a growing threat to global malaria elimination efforts, despite the availability of vaccines and preventive measures. Most deaths occurred among children under the age of five, with Africa accounting for around 95% of fatalities.

The WHO report emphasized that India continues to bear a significant portion of the malaria burden in the South-East Asia region. The country accounted for 73.3% of all malaria cases and nearly 88.7% of all deaths in the region. These figures underscore the persistent challenges faced by densely populated countries in controlling the spread of malaria despite ongoing interventions.

While progress is being made, the fight against malaria is hindered by several emerging risks. Antimalarial drug resistance has been confirmed or suspected in at least eight African countries, and there are early signs of reduced efficacy in drugs combined with artemisinin. Resistance among malaria parasites and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes, including the invasive Anopheles stephensi species, is further complicating control efforts in urban and rural areas alike.

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Despite these challenges, there have been notable successes in malaria elimination. To date, 47 countries and one territory have been certified malaria-free by the WHO. Cabo Verde and Egypt were declared malaria-free in 2024, while Georgia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste achieved the status in 2025. Furthermore, the introduction of WHO-approved malaria vaccines since 2021 has prevented an estimated 170 million cases and one million deaths globally in 2024.

The WHO report also highlighted external factors affecting malaria control, such as extreme weather events, climate variability, conflict, and instability, which limit access to healthcare. Funding constraints, including a plateauing of global malaria financing over the past decade, have also restricted the reach of life-saving interventions. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, warned that these factors could potentially reverse decades of progress.

Nonetheless, WHO remains cautiously optimistic. Dr. Tedros emphasized that with strategic leadership, targeted investment, and widespread adoption of new tools, the vision of a malaria-free world is achievable. Coordinated efforts, innovation in prevention and treatment, and robust funding are key to sustaining progress and overcoming the challenges posed by drug resistance and other threats.

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