Global Malaria - Progress Towards Elimination
- Globally, in 2016, there were 21 million fewer malaria cases than in 2010.
- In the past decade, malaria cases were cut by more than half.
Nonetheless...
- Despite significant progress, a child still dies of malaria every two minutes.
- In 2016 there were 445,000 malaria-related deaths - 70 percent of which were in children under 5.
- In 2016, 90 percent of malaria deaths were in Africa.
What is at Risk?
Progress in saving lives has stalled. We are at a crossroads and can choose to invest in malaria elimination.
Next Steps - Shrinking the Malaria Map through Malaria Elimination
While malaria control programs are a critical first step in areas of high malaria prevalence and they save countless lives, elimination efforts must exist in parallel in an effort to “Shrink the Map” and eliminate malaria from the margins- a long term elimination strategy advocated by the Roll Back Malaria Global Malaria Action Plan.
This map shows how the malaria map has been shrinking from 1900 and what it will look like in 2025 if we continue to invest resources in malaria programs and eliminate malaria from the margins.
This map shows how the malaria map has been shrinking from 1900 and what it will look like in 2025 if we continue to invest resources in malaria programs and eliminate malaria from the margins.
Elimination, Eradication and Control - A Definition of Terms
Malaria Control
The reduction of the malaria disease burden to a level at which it is no longer a public health problem.
Malaria Elimination
The reduction to zero of the incidence of infection caused by human malaria parasites in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts. Continued measures to prevent re-establishment of transmission are required.
Malaria Eradication
Permanent reduction to zero of the worldwide incidence of infection caused by a particular malaria parasite species.
Malaria Free Status
Granted by WHO after it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the chain of local human malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been fully interrupted in an entire country for at least 3 consecutive years.
Source: WHO World Malaria Report 2012