Malaria Is Still a Big Problem in Africa
Malaria Is Still a Big Problem in Africa
Introduction
Malaria is a very bad sickness. It hurts many people in the world. Most cases are in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2024, 282 million people got malaria. 610,000 people died. Many of them were children under five years old. Three countries have the most deaths: Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Niger. New vaccines and medicines help, but the number of sick people is still going up.
Main Body
Money for malaria control is not growing. Some medicines and mosquito nets do not work well now. Mosquitoes and the sickness are becoming stronger. Climate change makes more mosquitoes. Floods leave water where mosquitoes lay eggs. This makes it hard to stop malaria. Conflict and people moving also make it difficult. But there is good news. In July 2025, a new medicine for babies was approved. It helps children from two months to five years old. Seventeen countries started giving malaria vaccines to children in 2024. Two vaccines are used: RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M. In Ghana, the vaccine stopped 86% of malaria deaths in young children. Mali started using the vaccine in April 2025. They give booster shots with other medicine. Dr. Ngozi Erondu says new tools are good, but we need to use them for many people. Countries must share information about mosquitoes. New tools like AI can help find mosquitoes. But people need training and money. Many countries in Africa get money from other countries. This money can stop. Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A mosquito net costs $4 to $7. One bad case of malaria costs hundreds of dollars.
Conclusion
New vaccines, medicines, and tools can help stop malaria. But the number of sick people is still going up. Money is not enough. Mosquitoes are becoming stronger. Climate change makes more mosquitoes. To stop malaria by 2030, countries need more money and better health systems. They must work together. Without this, the problem will not get better.
Vocabulary Learning
Sentence Learning
Malaria Burden Remains High in Sub-Saharan Africa Despite Progress in Vaccines and New Tools
Introduction
Malaria continues to cause serious health and economic problems worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 95% of all malaria cases and deaths. According to the World Malaria Report 2025, there were an estimated 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024 across 80 countries. Children under five make up around three-quarters of malaria deaths in Africa. More than half of all deaths in the region happen in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Niger. Although there have been important advances in vaccines and treatments for children, the overall number of cases and deaths is rising, which shows that progress is slowing down.
Main Body
The current situation is caused by a mix of long-term and new pressures. Funding for malaria control has stopped increasing, while key tools like artemisinin-based combination therapies and insecticide-treated nets are becoming less effective because of resistance in parasites and mosquitoes. Climate change is expected to make transmission worse. A study in Nature predicted that by 2050, Africa could see an extra 123 million cases and up to half a million deaths if adaptation measures are not enough. Floods, in particular, create standing water where mosquitoes breed and disrupt control programmes, as researchers Tiaan de Jager and Taneshka Kruger pointed out. Conflict and mass displacement in the Sahel region also make it harder to deliver prevention and treatment services. At the same time, positive developments have occurred. In July 2025, Swissmedic approved the first malaria treatment designed specifically for infants and young children aged two months to five years, filling a critical gap in paediatric care. Seventeen countries where malaria is common, representing about 70% of the global malaria burden, introduced malaria vaccines into their routine childhood immunisation programmes in 2024. Two vaccines are available: RTS,S, first used in a routine programme in Cameroon in January 2024, and R21/Matrix-M, developed by Oxford University and approved by the World Health Organization in October 2023. Early data from Ghana showed an 86% reduction in malaria deaths among children under five after a subnational rollout of RTS,S. Mali, which introduced the R21/Matrix-M vaccine in April 2025, adapted its delivery by giving booster doses together with seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaigns to improve adherence. Dr. Ngozi Erondu, Technical Director at the Global Institute for Disease Elimination, emphasised that while innovation is promising, the main challenge is scaling up and sustaining these tools. She noted that cross-border data sharing is essential because mosquito populations and transmission patterns do not respect national borders. Initiatives such as the Sahel Malaria Elimination Initiative (SaME) have created regional platforms for sharing epidemiological data and coordinating responses. AI-based mosquito identification tools, like VectorCam tested in Uganda, can speed up entomological surveillance by allowing non-specialists to classify species from images or sound recordings. However, Dr. Erondu cautioned that these technologies need local training data, integration into national systems, and investment in human capacity. She also stressed that data quality at the point of care remains a problem, and that surveillance systems should be combined rather than focused on single diseases to ensure long-term use. The reliance on external funding—nearly half of sub-Saharan African countries depended on outside sources for more than a third of health spending in 2021—makes programmes vulnerable to donor fatigue and changing global priorities. Researchers Taneshka Kruger and Tiaan de Jager argued that prevention is far more cost-effective than treatment, with long-lasting insecticidal nets costing US$4–7 each compared to hundreds of dollars for a single severe malaria case.
Conclusion
The malaria situation in sub-Saharan Africa presents a paradox: new vaccines, treatments, and digital tools offer unprecedented chances to reduce transmission, yet the disease burden is rising because of funding shortages, biological resistance, and climate-related disruptions. Reaching the United Nations target of ending malaria epidemics by 2030 will require sustained investment in health systems, cross-border coordination, and the deliberate scaling up of proven interventions alongside new innovations. Without such efforts, the current momentum may not be enough to reverse the upward trend in cases and deaths.
Vocabulary Learning
Sentence Learning
Malaria Burden Remains High in Sub-Saharan Africa Amidst Progress in Vaccination and New Tools
Introduction
Malaria continues to impose a severe health and economic burden globally, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for approximately 95% of cases and deaths. According to the World Malaria Report 2025, an estimated 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths occurred in 2024 across 80 countries. Children under five represent about three-quarters of malaria fatalities in Africa, and over half of all deaths in the region are concentrated in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Niger. Despite notable advances in vaccines and paediatric treatments, the overall trend of rising cases and deaths indicates that progress is stalling.
Main Body
The current epidemiological situation reflects a combination of persistent and emerging pressures. Funding for malaria control has plateaued, while the efficacy of key interventions—such as artemisinin-based combination therapies and insecticide-treated nets—is diminishing due to resistance in parasites and vectors. Climate change is expected to exacerbate transmission, with a study in Nature projecting an additional 123 million cases and up to half a million deaths in Africa by 2050 if adaptation measures are insufficient. Floods, in particular, create standing water that facilitates mosquito breeding and disrupts control programmes, as noted by researchers Tiaan de Jager and Taneshka Kruger. Conflict and mass displacement in the Sahel region further complicate delivery of preventive and curative services. Positive developments have occurred concurrently. In July 2025, Swissmedic approved the first malaria treatment specifically formulated for infants and young children aged two months to five years, addressing a critical gap in paediatric care. Seventeen endemic countries, representing roughly 70% of the global malaria burden, introduced malaria vaccines into routine childhood immunisation programmes in 2024. Two vaccines are currently available: RTS,S, first deployed in a routine programme in Cameroon in January 2024, and R21/Matrix-M, developed by Oxford University and approved by the World Health Organization in October 2023. Early data from Ghana showed an 86% reduction in malaria deaths among children under five following subnational rollout of RTS,S. Mali, which introduced the R21/Matrix-M vaccine in April 2025, adapted its delivery by administering booster doses alongside seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaigns to improve adherence. Dr. Ngozi Erondu, Technical Director at the Global Institute for Disease Elimination, emphasised that while innovation is promising, the primary challenge lies in scaling and sustaining these tools. She noted that cross-border data integration is essential because mosquito populations and transmission patterns do not respect national boundaries. Initiatives such as the Sahel Malaria Elimination Initiative (SaME) have established regional platforms for sharing epidemiological data and coordinating responses. AI-based mosquito identification tools, such as VectorCam piloted in Uganda, can accelerate entomological surveillance by enabling non-specialists to classify species from images or sound recordings. However, Dr. Erondu cautioned that these technologies require local training data, integration into national systems, and investment in human capacity. She also stressed that data quality at the point of care remains a bottleneck, and that surveillance systems should be integrated rather than disease-specific to ensure sustainability. The reliance on external financing—nearly half of sub-Saharan African countries depended on external sources for more than a third of health expenditure in 2021—makes programmes vulnerable to donor fatigue and shifting global priorities. Researchers Taneshka Kruger and Tiaan de Jager argued that prevention is far more cost-effective than treatment, with long-lasting insecticidal nets costing US$4–7 each compared to hundreds of dollars for a single severe malaria case.
Conclusion
The malaria landscape in sub-Saharan Africa is characterised by a paradox: new vaccines, treatments, and digital tools offer unprecedented opportunities to reduce transmission, yet the disease burden is rising due to funding shortfalls, biological resistance, and climate-driven disruptions. Achieving the United Nations target of ending malaria epidemics by 2030 will require sustained investment in health systems, cross-border coordination, and the deliberate scaling of proven interventions alongside emerging innovations. Without such efforts, the current momentum may be insufficient to reverse the upward trend in cases and deaths.