WHO Reports Surge in Malaria Fatalities Worldwide
The WHO report reveals that Africa represents 95% of worldwide malaria infections and deaths. Most alarmingly, young children under five years old comprise roughly 76% of all African fatalities from the mosquito-borne illness.
Three nations—Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), and Niger—together contributed approximately half of all malaria deaths across the African region, the WHO documented. Nigeria accounted for 31.9% of fatalities, the DRC followed at 11.7%, and Niger represented 6.1%.
Global case numbers surged by around 9 million to reach 282 million worldwide, marking a 3% year-over-year rise, according to the report's findings.
A critical funding shortfall continues hampering malaria prevention initiatives, the WHO emphasized. "In 2024, $3.9 billion was invested in the malaria response, yet it reached less than half of the 2025 funding target of $9.3 billion," the agency stated on X.
The deadly vector-borne disease spreads through bites from infected mosquitoes, with symptoms—including fever, chills, vomiting, and flu-like illness—often taking weeks to manifest. Without treatment, malaria causes severe complications and death.
An outbreak earlier this year in the DR Congo produced 943 confirmed infections and 52 fatalities, according to Dieudonne Mwamba, director general of the National Public Health Institute (INSP).
This escalating malaria crisis unfolds as Africa grapples with another devastating health emergency. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in November that the continent faces its most severe cholera outbreak in a quarter-century, documenting over 300,000 confirmed and suspected cases alongside more than 7,000 deaths regionwide in 2025.
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