Malaria is not gender-blind; a mosquito can bite both men and women. However, gender still influences who may get malaria and their treatment options. There are various social, cultural, and economic factors that impact women’s vulnerability to malaria and access to treatment. Gender-informed services are necessary to ensure women have equitable access to malaria education and treatment options.
In malaria-endemic countries, women are more susceptible to malaria due to multiple reasons: lack of health literacy, gendered division of labor, lack of access to bed nets, and social and cultural norms in accessing treatment services. Pregnant women and children, due to biological and social reasons, are at the greatest risk of contracting malaria both in high and low malaria-endemic areas.
A key factor in the disproportionate impact on women specifically is wider gender inequality. Women are less likely to have access to malaria-related education, are expected to conduct household chores early in the morning when there is a high likelihood of mosquito bites, and often have to ask their husbands’ permission to access treatment. These issues impact their access to care for malaria. This also contributes to the underreporting of malaria cases by women because they are reluctant to see male health workers due to cultural customs. It is vital to have gender-responsive malaria treatment programs and services to ensure equitable health outcomes for women, who are vulnerable to malaria cases.
The United Nations Development Programme reports that women have less access to health information about protecting themselves from malaria than men due to lower literacy rates. In households, women often bear the traditional responsibility of household chores such as cooking the evening meal outdoors, and may wake up before sunrise for cooking. In a study in Ghana, it was found that women were responsible for retrieving water before 6 am, when the risk of mosquito bites is considered higher.
Cultural norms also impact women’s ability to access malaria prevention services. For instance, women may have to ask their husbands for permission to access malaria treatment for themselves. In cases when they are sick from malaria, they can face harassment by their husband and family for malaria medicine expenses and not being able to continue household work when sick.
There are economic circumstances that lead men and women to seek different malaria treatment services. Since poor women cannot afford malaria treatment services, they are more likely to rely on traditional remedies, which may not be effective. Even when they can afford the treatment, they may not be able to receive it because they are busy with household chores. As a result, women are less likely to receive medication and complete the full course of the treatment. Even though malaria can impact an entire family, the economic burden of disease is on women who face pressures to provide food and medicine and increased household responsibilities.
When women are empowered with resources and decision-making agency, malaria outcomes improve for themselves and their communities. Currently, 25% of senior roles in the global health sector are held by women, although women make up 70% of the workforce. In 2020, 20,000 female seasonal workers were hired to support malaria campaigns and earned over $20 million in wages. They were able to receive substantial financial support alongside malaria education and the tools to educate their communities. It is important to equip women with professional development opportunities so they can design gender-responsive malaria treatment services for their communities.
There should also be investments in the maternal and child health services network to reach pregnant women and children. If Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets are distributed to pregnant women during Antenatal Care (ANC) visits, both they and their children will be better protected from malaria infection risks.
In parts of the Asia-Pacific region, where similar measures have been taken, there is growing evidence that gender-responsive planning can successfully combat high malaria rates among women.
Including women in malaria programming can result in lower malaria transmission rates among women as well as the broader community.
Mahabuba Masud is an undergraduate student at Barnard College of Columbia University, studying Urban Studies, Public Health, and Human Rights. As a 2025-2026 Shot@Life College Ambassador, she pursues her passion at the intersection of global health and gender equity. She aspires to work in the public health field, advocating for marginalized communities to access quality and affordable care.
© United to Beat Malaria. 2026 • Save Lives, Beat Malaria
A campaign of the 
