Malaria remains a significant threat across the African continent, affecting millions of people every year. Funmilayo Kotun, a 66-year-old resident of Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria, is just one example of a person living in conditions that promote malaria transmission, without access to prevention or treatment. Despite efforts to combat the disease, cases of malaria continue to rise globally, with children under 5 and pregnant women being the most affected.
Vaccine efforts are underway, with Cameroon becoming the first country to introduce a new malaria vaccine for children, although its effectiveness is limited. Three African countries are now rolling out vaccination programs for millions of children. However, challenges such as drug and insecticide resistance, poor living conditions, and lack of funding for innovation continue to hinder progress in the fight against malaria. An invasive species of mosquito is also a new concern in some areas.
The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted efforts to combat malaria, leading to a setback in progress. Lockdowns and disruptions to healthcare services in Africa caused a spike in malaria cases, reversing a downward trend observed between 2000 and 2019. The impact of climate change on malaria transmission is also a growing concern, with extreme weather events affecting efforts to control the disease in low- and middle-income regions. Scientists fear that previously unaffected areas could now be at risk due to changing climates.
The World Health Organization has highlighted the link between malaria and climate change for the first time in its World Malaria Report, emphasizing the role of climate change as a potential risk multiplier. In regions like Zimbabwe, where some of the hottest days in decades have been recorded, malaria transmission periods have extended, with climate change being attributed as the cause. The global fight against malaria faces numerous challenges, including funding, drug resistance, and the impact of climate change, requiring concerted efforts from governments, donors, and healthcare providers to address.
