Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes, according to World Health Organization (WHO). It is mostly found in tropical countries. It is preventable and curable. The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person. Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms are fever, chills and headache. Severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing. However, one reason it’s so persistent is that the malaria parasite has a very complex life cycle. It involves many different developmental stages and multiple hosts (mosquitoes and humans). And in Africa, what adds to the challenge of controlling malaria is that the continent is home to some of the most efficient malaria vectors. These include Anopheles gambiae and An. funestus. Also, the malaria parasite species Plasmodium falciparum, the dominant species in Africa, is the most lethal. It’s responsible for most malaria cases and deaths – 80% of which occur in children younger than five.
Unfortunately, the inadequate health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa contribute to the seriousness of malaria by making it difficult for people infected with malaria to receive appropriate treatment. According to WHO guidelines, before beginning treatment for malaria, the diagnosis should ideally be confirmed by a doctor using microscopy (examining blood samples for the parasite). Then drugs should be administered to treat malaria, with different drugs used depending on the type and severity of malaria. However, the lack of healthcare professionals in this region means that this ideal is not always the reality. In contrast to the Americas, which has a ratio of 24.8 health workers per 1,000 people, or the world, which has a ratio of 9.3 health workers per 1,000 people, Africa has a ratio of 2.3 health workers per 1,000 people.
Currently, countries with high rates of malaria are likely to have high rates of poverty and slower economic growth as malaria impacts the day-to-day functioning of a population and the expenditures of a country. Across the continent, Africa loses an estimated $12 billion USD annually due to malaria. One study estimated that in 1985, 19 African countries lost 18% of their income to the economic growth penalty of malaria, with 10 others losing at least 1% of their income. This trend has continued in the twenty-first century; a 2019 study found that between 2000 and 2017, “a 10% decrease in malaria incidence was associated with an increase in income per capita of nearly 0.3% on average and a 0.11 percentage point faster per capita growth per annum.” In 1995 the average GDP of countries with malaria was $1,526.00 USD compared to $8,268.00 USD in countries without malaria (adjusted for parity in purchasing power). With consequences this drastic, malaria is not only a health issue but an economic and development issue.
Despite malaria’s heavy toll on health and economy, major inroads were made against the disease from 2000 to 2019 as a result of stepped-up funding and programming. Between 2000 and 2019, malaria mortality rates among all ages halved from 28.8 to 14.1 per 100,000 population at risk. In 2020, the mortality rate increased to 15.2 per 100, 000 population at risk partly due to the disruptions in access to malaria prevention and case management caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and then decreased slightly to 14.5 in 2021 and 14.3 in 2022. During the period 2000 to 2022, percentage of total malaria deaths among children under 5 declined from 87 per cent in 2000 to 76 per cent in 2022. Success in the fight against malaria is fragile and closely tied to sustained investment. In recent years, there has been a plateau in the funding of the global malaria response. In 2022, the total of international and domestic funding for malaria control and elimination was $4.1 billion, a notable increase from $3.5 billion in 2021. However, the amount invested in 2022 still falls short of the estimated $7.8 billion required to stay on track for the Global Technical Strategy targets.
Facts & Figures
- The World malaria report has indicated that, there were 249 million cases of malaria in 2022 compared to 244 million cases in 2021. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 608 000 in 2022 compared to 610 000 in 2021.
- It is estimated that over 90% of all malaria deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria in 2019, there were 191,106 deaths attributed to malaria. In contrast, there were no deaths attributed to malaria in the United States that same year. In 2020, just 4 Sub-Saharan African countries (Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Mozambique) accounted for over half of all malaria deaths globally.
- In 2022 the Region was home to about 94% of all malaria cases and 95% of deaths. Children under 5 years of age accounted for about 78% of all malaria deaths in the Region. Four African countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths worldwide: Nigeria (26.8%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.3%), Uganda (5.1%) and Mozambique (4.2%).
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Sources: World Health Organization (WHO); United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Ballard Center for Social Impact; The Conversation.
