Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by plasmodium parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization, there were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2020, and about 627,000 deaths. Around 90% of all malaria cases and deaths occur in Africa south of the Sahara desert. Malaria is preventable and curable if promptly diagnosed and adequately treated.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that malaria cases have increased globally, with an estimated 249 million cases in 2023, a 16 million increase from the pre-pandemic level of 233 million in 2019. The pandemic has also led to challenges such as drug and insecticide resistance, humanitarian crises, resource constraints, climate change impacts, and delays in program implementation. Climate change, which affects temperature, humidity, and rainfall, can directly impact malaria transmission and disease burden. Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and flooding, can directly impact transmission. The WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized the need for sustainable and resilient malaria responses, coupled with urgent actions to slow global warming and reduce its effects. Climate variability is expected to indirectly affect malaria trends, such as reduced access to essential services and disruptions in the supply chain of insecticide-treated nets, medicines, and vaccines.