On World Malaria Day, Urgent Need & Genuine Opportunity

Today, on World Malaria Day, we recognize the enormous successes of malaria programs since the turn of the century. But we also recognize the precarity of progress and the need to recommit to elimination.

The trajectory of malaria since 2000 has been one of enormous long-term progress – 2.3 billion cases prevented and 14 million lives saved – yet has increasingly stalled in recent years.

Resistance to insecticides, insufficient coverage, conflict-driven displacement, and a changing climate that expands the range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes have slowed progress. The impacts of recent funding cuts and program disruptions are not yet reflected in the data but may further complicate the overall picture.

But it’s not all bad news.

The Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy  prioritizes malaria as one of the key disease priorities for U.S. bilateral assistance. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria emerged from the upheaval of the past year with a strong U.S. pledge. And most recently, the President’s Budget Request for FY 2027 seeks funding for America’s Global Fund contributions and expressly accepts the traditional 2 to 1 match.

There have also been significant developments bringing new innovations in the malaria fight. The first malaria treatment specifically for newborns and young infants and a new, long-lasting spatial repellant to keep homes safe from mosquitoes have both recently received prequalification from the WHO, clearing the way to adoption. 25 African countries are now vaccinating against malaria, protecting tens of millions of kids annually.

The anopheles mosquito and the malaria parasite may be adapting, but human industry and ingenuity are working to keep us one step ahead.

This World Malaria Day, we’re calling on policymakers to recognize the enormous achievements, the urgency of this moment, and the opportunities fueled by innovation and partnership to build on our progress towards a malaria-free future.