The 2024 World Malaria Report has been launched!

The SMC Alliance welcomes the launch of the 2024 edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) World malaria report, Addressing inequity in the global malaria response. This year’s edition highlights that although there has been notable progress against malaria, it is not being made fast enough. Malaria continues to disproportionately affect women and children living in poverty, which in turn fuels existing inequities.  

The annual publication provides a benchmark of progress against the disease. This year’s report states that there were 597,000 malaria deaths in 2023, down from 608,000 deaths reported in 2022. WHO’s African Region again accounted for 94% of these deaths, with children under 5 accounting for 76% of mortality.  

Results from countries implementing SMC show that African countries are doing more to protect their children from malaria. In 2023, 19 African countries implemented SMC, giving children the chance for a healthier future. Over the last ten years, the average number of African children reached with SMC rose from about 170 000 in 2012 to 53 million in 2023. 

SMC is gaining popularity among countries due to its effectiveness. Two countries introduced SMC for the first time in 2023: Côte d'Ivoire and Madagascar.  However, many children in eligible areas in Africa are not reached with SMC due to lack of resources for malaria as a whole. Increasing investment in malaria and support to community health workers and volunteers who implement SMC will help protect more children from malaria infection.