The World Malaria Report 2025 reveals stalled progress as drug resistance and funding gaps widen. WHO urges urgent investment to protect gains in high-burden regions.
WHO’s World Malaria Report 2025 Flags Rising Drug Resistance, Funding Cuts, and Slow Progress
TheInterviewTimes.com | December 7, 2025, 10:35 AM IST: The World Malaria Report 2025 released by the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that global progress against malaria is slowing due to drug resistance, funding shortages, and conflict-driven disruptions. The new World Malaria Report 2025 shows that despite strong tools and vaccines, malaria still caused over 600,000 deaths in 2024, with Africa facing the heaviest burden. WHO says urgent investments are needed to prevent further setbacks.
Global Burden: World Malaria Report 2025 Shows Uneven Progress
According to the World Malaria Report 2025, global malaria cases rose to 280 million in 2024, with more than 600,000 deaths. The WHO African Region accounted for 94% of all cases, with Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Tanzania responsible for over half of global deaths.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the increases were “concentrated in countries hit by conflict and climate change,” adding that the World Malaria Report 2025 highlights deep inequalities in malaria control.
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Key Regional Findings
- Africa: 258 million cases, 575,000 deaths
- South-East Asia: Cases declined from 23 million (2000) to 3 million (2024)
- Americas, Western Pacific, Eastern Mediterranean: Moderate declines but inconsistent progress
- Europe: Remains malaria-free since 2015
The World Malaria Report 2025 confirms the world is off-track on the Global Technical Strategy (GTS) 2016–2030, which aims for a 90% reduction in cases and deaths by 2030.
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Elimination Successes Highlighted in World Malaria Report 2025
One encouraging highlight in the World Malaria Report 2025 is the rise in malaria-free countries.
Newly Certified Malaria-Free Nations
- 2024: Cabo Verde, Egypt
- 2025: Georgia, Suriname, Timor-Leste
This brings the total to 44 malaria-free countries since 2000.
Prevention & Vaccine Rollouts
The World Malaria Report 2025 reports:
- 250 million insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) distributed
- 100 million people protected via indoor residual spraying
- SMC coverage expanded to 54 million children
- RTS,S and R21 vaccines launched in 24 countries
WHO says that, if scaled effectively, vaccines could save tens of thousands of child lives annually.
Funding Crisis Deepens
The World Malaria Report 2025 warns that global financing is far below required levels.
Key Funding Figures
- US$ 4.1 billion invested in 2024
- But US$ 9.8 billion needed to meet 2025 targets
- Only 42% of required funding available
Cuts in international aid led to:
- Stockouts of medicines
- Reduced net distributions
- Declines in diagnostic coverage
- Higher costs for vulnerable communities
R&D investments reached US$ 650 million, but the World Malaria Report 2025 notes that innovation must accelerate.
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Drug Resistance: The Most Urgent Warning in World Malaria Report 2025
The World Malaria Report 2025 dedicates a major section to rising antimalarial drug resistance, calling it the greatest current threat to malaria control.
Major Biological Threats
1. Artemisinin Partial Resistance
Confirmed in multiple African countries, weakening the effectiveness of ACTs.
2. Partner Drug Decline
Falling efficacy detected in:
- Lumefantrine
- Piperaquine
Some sites recorded >10% ACT failure, triggering discussions on triple combination therapies.
3. Spread of Anopheles stephensi
An invasive mosquito species capable of causing large urban outbreaks.
4. Diagnostic Failure
Parasite pfhrp2/3 deletions detected in 15 countries, undermining rapid diagnostic tests.
WHO warns that failure to detect and control resistance could reverse two decades of progress, as documented in the World Malaria Report 2025.
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A Global Call to Action
The World Malaria Report 2025 stresses that the world has the technologies to defeat malaria but lacks the funding, surveillance, and health system capacity to deploy them at scale.
Major initiatives highlighted include:
- Yaoundé Declaration (2024) by African health ministers
- 2025 African Union health financing commitments
- The “Big Push” framework for aligning global funds with national needs
Dr. Tedros said: “The World Malaria Report 2025 shows that none of these challenges are insurmountable. With strong national leadership and global support, a malaria-free future remains within reach.”