The World Health Organization's Africa Regional Office has reported a 30 percent decline in malaria-related deaths across the continent over the past five years, attributing the progress to mass vaccination campaigns, the wider distribution of insecticide-treated nets, and stronger community health worker networks.
The milestone was announced at a press conference in Brazzaville, where WHO Africa Director Dr Matshidiso Moeti called it "the most significant public health achievement on the continent this decade."
The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, approved in 2023 and now deployed in 24 African countries, has been central to the reduction. Early data from Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Kenya indicate that childhood malaria hospitalisations dropped by up to 45 percent in areas with high vaccination coverage.
Nigeria, which accounts for roughly a quarter of global malaria deaths, recorded a 22 percent decline — slower than the continental average but still representing hundreds of thousands of lives saved. Health officials credit an aggressive indoor residual spraying campaign and the deployment of 120,000 additional community health workers.
Despite the progress, WHO cautioned that 559,000 people still died from malaria in Africa in 2024, and that insecticide-resistant mosquito populations are emerging in several West African countries.
"We cannot celebrate too early," said Dr Moeti. "Climate change is expanding the geographic range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and funding for vector control programmes remains chronically inadequate."
The African Leaders Malaria Alliance has called on member states to double domestic health spending commitments and to prioritise malaria elimination in national development plans.
