World Malaria Day

Observed every year on April 25, World Malaria Day is a global WHO-led initiative to raise awareness and galvanise action. The 2025 theme, “Malaria ends with us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” underscores the urgent need to re-energise global, national, and community-level efforts.

About Malaria

• Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable.
• It is both preventable and curable.
• It is not contagious.
• Transmission: There are 5 Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans:
  • falciparumis the deadliest malaria parasite and the most prevalent on the African continent. 
  • vivaxis the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Other malaria species:  malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi.
• Causes: Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite of the genus plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted to humans most commonly through mosquito bites.
• Symptoms: Fever, Chills, General feeling of discomfort, Headache, Nausea and vomiting, Diarrhea, Abdominal pain, Muscle or joint pain, Fatigue, Rapid breathing, Rapid heart rate, Cough.
• Treatment: Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the most effective antimalarial medicines.
• Vaccine: In 2021, WHO recommended the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine to prevent malaria among children living in regions with moderate-to-high  falciparummalaria transmission.  

World Malaria Report 2024 (Global Malaria Trend)

• According to the Report, significant progress was observed in global malaria elimination efforts during 2023–24.
• The number of malaria-endemic countries dropped from 85 in 2022 to 83.
• Impressively, by 2024, 26 countries that were endemic in 2000 reported zero indigenous cases for three consecutive years.
• In 2023, global malaria deaths were estimated at 597,000, with a mortality rate of 13.7 per 100,000—a decline from 622,000 deaths and a 14.9 mortality rate in 2020, reflecting consistent global progress.
• India’s remarkable strides in Malaria elimination
  • India exited the High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group in 2024, owing to sustained progress.
  • India’s estimated malaria cases fell from 6.4 million in 2017 to 2 million in 2023—a 69% reduction.
  • Likewise, estimated malaria deaths declined from 11,100 to 3,500, showing a 68% decrease.
  • This significant drop aligns with India’s national goal to eliminate malaria by 2030.