Charted: How far we've come in the battle against malaria

Apr 27, 2023

With the collaboration of Statista

Woman suffering from malaria and fever receives medical assistance.

World Malaria Day "is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control". Image: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

Martin Armstrong

Data Journalist, Statista

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World Malaria Day is observed every year on 25 April.
While progress has been made on malaria prevention and control over the past two decades, there is still much work to be done, says Statista.
There were an estimated 619,000 deaths caused by the disease in 2021 - down from 897,000 in 2000.

World Malaria Day, observed every year on April 25, "is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control". In 2023, the theme as designated by the World Health Organization is "Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement".

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The Global Health and Strategic Outlook 2023 highlighted that there will be an estimated shortage of 10 million healthcare workers worldwide by 2030.

The World Economic Forum’s Centre for Health and Healthcare works with governments and businesses to build more resilient, efficient and equitable healthcare systems that embrace new technologies.

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Global vaccine delivery: Our contribution to COVAX resulted in the delivery of over 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines and our efforts in launching Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has helped save more than 13 million lives over the past 20 years.
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UHC2030 Private Sector Constituency: This collaboration with 30 diverse stakeholders plays a crucial role in advocating for universal health coverage and emphasizing the private sector's potential to contribute to achieving this ambitious goal.

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As this infographic shows, while progress has been made over the last two decades, there is still an incredible amount of work to be done. Globally in 2000 there were a total of 108 endemic countries. By 2021 this had dropped to 84, yet nearly half of the world's population was still classified as 'at risk' of malaria. There were an estimated 619,000 deaths caused by the disease in 2021 - down from 897,000 in 2000.

Map showing progress and challenges in the battle against malaria.

In 2021, nearly half of the world's population was still classified as 'at risk' of malaria. Image: Statista.

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