Malaria is one of the most severe public health problems worldwide. It is a leading cause of death and disease in many developing countries, where young children and pregnant women are the groups most affected. Malaria is not simply a health crisis, or a humanitarian crisis agravated by conflicts, extreme weather conditions, and financial gaps (Economic implications).

Nearly half of the world's population lives in areas at risk of malaria transmission, across 80 countries and territories.

In 2024, malaria caused an estimated 282 million clinical episodes and 610K deaths.

An estimated 94% of deaths in 2024 were in the WHO African Region.

In 33 moderate-to-high transmission countries in the WHO African Region, there were an estimated 36 million pregnancies, of which 13 million (36%) were infected with malaria.

75% of all deaths in Africa were among children aged under 5 years in 2024.

In 2024 alone, more than 170 million cases and over 1 million deaths were averted globally.