Malaria is transmitted to people through the bites of infected female mosquitoes.
Young children, pregnant women and non-immune travellers are particularly vulnerable when they become infected.
Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite.
People infected often experience fever, chills and flu-like illness at first.
Untreated, the disease can lead to severe complications and, in some cases, death.
Malaria is preventable and curable
3.2 billion people – almost half of the world’s population – are at risk of malaria.
214 million malaria cases reported worldwide in 2015.
37% global decrease in malaria incidence between 2000 and 2015.
60% decrease in global malaria mortality rates between 2000 and 2015.
Malaria Parasites
Malaria in humans is caused by five species of parasites belonging to the genus Plasmodium.
Four of these – P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale – are human malaria species that are spread from one person to another via the bite of female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles.
P. falciparum and P. vivax are the most prevalent, and P. falciparum is the most dangerous, with the highest rates of complications and mortality.
Information suggests that P. knowlesi malaria is not spread human-huan, but rather occurs in people when an Anopheles mosquito infected by a monkey then bites and infects humans (zoonotic transmission).
In recent years, human cases of malaria due to P. knowlesi have been recorded – this species causes malaria among monkeys.
Malaria Cases
Most Malaria cases in 2015 are estimated to have occurred in the WHO African Region (88%)
Malaria Deaths
Most Malaria deaths in 2015 were in the WHO African Region (90%)
What have we done?
An increasing number of countries are moving towards elimination of malaria. Whereas only 13 countries were estimated to have fewer than 1000 malaria cases in 2000, 33 countries are estimated to have achieved this milestone in 2015.
Global financing for malaria control increased from an estimated US$ 960 million in 2005 to US$ 2.5 billion in 2014.
Where do we go?
To address remaining challenges in global malaria control and elimination, WHO has developed the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030. Adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2015, the strategy provides a technical framework for all endemic countries as they work towards malaria control and elimination. This Global Technical Strategy sets ambitious but achievable goals for 2030, including: reducing malaria case incidence by at least 90%; reducing malaria mortality rates by at least 90%; eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries; preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free. To achieve these targets, annual funding for malaria will need to triple over the next 15-year period, from US$ 2.7 billion (current level of spending) to US$ 8.7 billion by 2030.