WHO Reports 597,000 Malaria Deaths in 2023, 263 Million Cases Globally, 95% of Deaths in Africa

Dec 11, 2024, 11:35 AM

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that malaria caused approximately 597,000 deaths globally in 2023, with a notable concentration of fatalities in Africa, which accounted for 95% of the deaths. The report also highlighted that there were an estimated 263 million cases of malaria last year, marking an increase of around 11 million cases compared to 2022. The WHO's South East Asia Region contributed about 1.5% of the global malaria burden, with India accounting for about half of all estimated cases, followed by Indonesia, which represented nearly one-third. Despite the rise in cases, the mortality rate has decreased, attributed to improvements in health systems, although challenges such as drug resistance and funding shortages continue to impede progress towards malaria elimination. The report indicates that global deaths from malaria have risen by over 5% since 2019, underscoring the ongoing threat posed by the disease.