The malaria resurgence in 2024 is driven by rising drug and insecticide resistance, plus climate change, conflict, population growth, and higher case incidence measured as cases per 100,000 people at risk rising from 59 to 64, while mortality remained only slightly lower at 13.8 per 100,000.

Incidence and deaths climbed in 2024 due to the same mix of drug and insecticide resistance, climate pressures, conflict, and population growth, with mortality tracking a slight decline from 14.9 to 13.8 per 100,000 at risk.

There is an urgent need for new medicines and delivery mechanisms, highlighted by the Ganaplacide–Lumefantrine combination as the first non-artemisinin therapy, alongside ongoing calls for political commitment and funding through initiatives like the Yaoundé Declaration and the Big Push to push toward a malaria-free future.

Countries are weaving malaria tools into broader health systems, with 24 nations introducing malaria vaccines into routine immunization since 2021 and seasonal malaria chemoprevention reaching 54 million children in 2024 across 20 countries.

The report stresses shared responsibility among governments and international donors to ensure effective delivery of interventions and to resist underfunding that could erode gains against malaria.

Diagnostic challenges from pfhrp2 deletions, widespread pyrethroid resistance in 48 countries, and the invasion of Anopheles stephensi in nine African nations threaten transmission control and urban malaria management.

2024 funding for malaria control totaled $3.9 billion, well short of the $9 billion target, and ongoing 2025 international aid reductions risk further undermining responses.

Non-biological threats include extreme weather shifting mosquito habitats, conflict disrupting health services, and funding plateaus, with 2024 investments far below the $9.3 billion 2025 target.

In short, 2024 investments of $3.9 billion fall short of the nearly $9 billion target, and anticipated cuts in aid through 2025 threaten ongoing malaria interventions.

Progress against malaria has stalled since the early 2000s, with 47 countries certified malaria-free, while Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Yemen reported notable increases in cases in 2024.

Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Yemen are highlighted as countries with particularly rising malaria cases in 2024, signaling uneven progress.

Overall stagnation in malaria progress over the past decade contrasts with pockets of progress, as 47 countries remain malaria-free but others see resurgence.

A WHO official warned that underfunding risks a massive resurgence unless new tools—treatments, diagnostics, and vaccines—are delivered to those at risk with adequate funding.

Dr. Daniel Ngamije Madandi of WHO’s global malaria program emphasized that new tools offer hope only if they reach those at risk and are properly funded.

Historically, chloroquine resistance spurred high mortality until artemisinin-based therapies became standard, a trend that shaped current first-line treatments in most settings.

Malaria transmission remains driven by mosquitoes and a parasite that has historically evolved resistance to drugs, complicating control efforts.

Antimalarial drug resistance is growing, with partial artemisinin resistance and potential declines in drug combination efficacy challenging treatment in several African countries.

The World Health Organization reported about 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024, with the vast majority of deaths in sub-Saharan Africa and among children under five.

New tools, including dual-ingredient nets and WHO-recommended vaccines, helped prevent an estimated 170 million cases and 1 million deaths in 2024.

Global malaria case numbers rose to an estimated 282 million in 2024, signaling a setback for control efforts.

Ultimately, access depends on sustained funding and supply chains managed by governments and international partners to reach those at risk.

Contributing factors for the surge include drug resistance, climate change, and funding cuts, threatening the hard-won gains of the early 2000s.