Nigeria Leads as Africa Records 95% of Global Malaria Deaths
The World Health Organisation (WHO), in its recently released report, announced that the African continent accounted for 569,000 malaria-related deaths in 2023, representing 95% of the total global deaths (597,000) caused by the disease.
Malaria, a tropical disease prevalent in most African regions, is transmitted by certain types of mosquitoes. Despite being both preventable and curable, the disease remains a major killer.
“In 2023, the WHO African Region was home to 94% of malaria cases (246 million) and 95% (569,000) of malaria deaths,” the global health organization stated on its website.
The report highlighted that while malaria affects all ages and kills indiscriminately, children under the age of five were the most vulnerable, accounting for 76% of all malaria-related deaths in Africa.
Although there was a slight reduction in recorded cases and deaths between 2022 and 2023, malaria continues to pose a significant health challenge, particularly in specific countries.
Of the 569,000 malaria-related deaths in Africa, four countries accounted for more than half of the fatalities. Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation, recorded 30.9% of the malaria-related deaths, which translates to approximately 175,751 fatalities in 2023 alone. Other countries with high malaria death rates include the Democratic Republic of Congo (11.3%), Niger (5.9%), and Tanzania (4.3%).
To combat the disease, WHO emphasized various preventive measures such as the use of insecticide-treated nets, repellents, and mosquito coils. Moreover, vaccines have been introduced to reduce the burden of malaria.
Since October 2021, WHO has recommended the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine for children in regions with moderate to high Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission. In October 2023, the global health body also approved the R21/Matrix-M vaccine for use in childhood immunization programs across Africa.
“Malaria vaccines in Africa are expected to save tens of thousands of young lives every year,” WHO said.
