The World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2025 delivers a stark message: two decades of progress in fighting malaria , one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases are now hanging in the balance. While millions of lives have been saved and new tools are showing promise, the combination of rising drug resistance and deepening funding shortfalls threatens to reverse years of global health gains.
The data presents a dual reality. On one hand, malaria prevention programs, new vaccines, more effective bed nets, and better diagnostics have prevented an estimated 14 million deaths since 2000. On the other hand, malaria parasites and mosquitoes are adapting rapidly, while financial support for malaria programs is failing to keep pace with global needs.
The WHO’s latest report is a warning: scientific breakthroughs alone cannot end malaria , they must be matched by sustained investment and coordinated global action.
A Growing Emergency: Drug Resistance Spreading Across Africa
Malaria treatment is entering one of its most dangerous periods since the collapse of chloroquine in the late 20th century. As the report outlines, partial resistance to artemisinin , the core component of modern malaria treatment has now been confirmed in four African nations:
- Eritrea
- Rwanda
- Uganda
- United Republic of Tanzania
Additionally, suspected resistance is emerging in:
- Ethiopia
- Namibia
- Sudan
- Zambia
This is concerning for several reasons:
1. ACTs are the backbone of malaria treatment
Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the world’s most effective and widely used malaria treatments. If they fail, global malaria control efforts would face a crisis reminiscent of the chloroquine-resistant outbreaks that caused millions of deaths in the 1980s and 90s.
2. Partial resistance tends to worsen
Currently, parasites take longer to clear but remain treatable. However, drug resistance typically evolves in stages. WHO experts warn that without intervention, partial resistance could become full resistance, rendering current therapies ineffective.
3. Africa is home to 94% of global malaria cases
Unlike previous waves of drug resistance that began in Southeast Asia, the current threat is emerging at the epicenter of global malaria transmission. That significantly amplifies the danger.
Mosquito Resistance Accelerates: Insecticides Losing Power
The WHO report also highlights another pressing biological threat: mosquito resistance to insecticides.
Pyrethroids the most common and cost-effective insecticide used in mosquito nets are losing effectiveness rapidly. Resistance has now been confirmed in:
- 55 out of 64 countries monitored
This erosion undermines one of humanity’s most effective public-health interventions: insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), which are estimated to have saved more lives than any other malaria tool over the past 20 years.
Dual-ingredient nets, which use two active compounds to overcome resistance, are helping but are more costly and harder to distribute at scale.
The Undeniable Impact of Funding Cuts
While biological threats are concerning, the WHO emphasizes that funding shortages pose an even larger systemic threat.
A Massive Global Funding Gap
- $3.9 billion USD — total global spending on malaria in 2024
- $9.3 billion USD — amount WHO says is required annually to stay on track
This means malaria programs operate with less than half the resources needed.
Key consequences of underfunding:
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Delayed or cancelled distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs)
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Critical shortages of diagnostic tests and malaria medicines in multiple countries
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Suspended indoor residual spraying campaigns
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Weak or nonexistent surveillance systems, making outbreaks harder to track
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Understaffed and overstretched health workers at local and national levels
The report notes that some countries are experiencing “blind spots,” meaning there is little or no up-to-date data about where malaria is rising , a dangerous situation when resistant parasites are spreading.
Human cost of inaction
Modeling by Malaria No More UK warns that if funding declines continue, malaria deaths could rise dramatically , potentially leading to up to one million additional deaths by 2030, most of them children under five.
Successes That Show What’s Possible
Despite the challenges, the WHO report highlights significant achievements , evidence that with the right tools and funding, malaria can be defeated.
1. One million lives saved in 2024 alone
This extraordinary figure stems from improvements in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, proving that the global malaria toolkit is effective when fully deployed.
2. Malaria vaccines scaling up
Two groundbreaking vaccines RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M are now being introduced into national immunization programs in 24 countries, mostly in Africa.
These vaccines are already:
- Reducing severe malaria cases
- Lowering child hospitalization rates
- Alleviating pressure on health systems
3. Dual-ingredient mosquito nets working
These new-generation nets are significantly more effective in regions with pyrethroid resistance. They are now being deployed at scale in several African countries and are expected to play a crucial role in controlling resistant mosquito populations.
4. Momentum toward elimination
A total of 47 countries have now been certified malaria-free , five of them in the past two years:
- Cabo Verde
- Egypt
- Georgia
- Suriname
- Timor-Leste
Their success demonstrates that elimination is achievable with persistent political will, funding, and community engagement.
What Must Happen Next
The WHO’s message is clear: the world has the tools to eliminate malaria, but action is urgently needed to prevent a reversal of progress.
1. Close the global funding gap
Countries most affected by malaria cannot shoulder the burden alone. Global financial commitments from governments, development agencies, and private donors must rise to meet WHO’s $9.3 billion target.
2. Scale up surveillance programs
Drug resistance and mosquito resistance can only be tracked through strong surveillance systems. Nations need support to strengthen laboratories, supply data tools, and train health workers.
3. Accelerate access to new tools
Vaccines, dual-ingredient nets, and newer antimalarial drugs must reach high-burden regions quickly and in adequate quantities.
4. Invest in research and development
Future tools such as monoclonal antibodies, gene-drive mosquitoes, new drug combinations, and next-generation diagnostics are already in the pipeline. Continued R&D investment is vital.
5. Support community-level interventions
No malaria program succeeds without local involvement. Education, prevention campaigns, and community health workers remain essential pillars in controlling the disease.
Conclusion: A Warning the World Cannot Ignore
The World Malaria Report 2025 is more than a collection of data , it is a global call to action.
Malaria has been one of humanity’s deadliest diseases for centuries, but the past two decades have shown what is possible with sustained commitment. Lives have been saved, new tools have been developed, and entire nations have eliminated the disease.
Yet the progress is fragile. Biological threats are rising. Funding is falling. And children remain the most vulnerable.
If the world acts now with urgency and coordination malaria can still be pushed back. If not, we risk returning to an era of widespread malaria deaths, overwhelmed health systems, and costly humanitarian crises.
The stakes could not be higher.
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