Malaria Outbreaks Accelerated in 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an in-depth update on malaria burden and trends at global, regional, and country levels. As of December 19, 2024, the WHO reported malaria outbreaks remain a formidable public health challenge.

In 2023 alone, there were an estimated 597,000 malaria-related fatalities and 263 million new cases, an increase of 11 million cases over 2022.

The WHO wrote, 'Given current trends, progress towards critical targets of the WHO global malaria strategy is off track.'

As the WHO Director-General stated: "No one should die of malaria.... An expanded package of lifesaving tools now offers better protection against the disease, but stepped-up investments and action in high-burden African countries are needed to curb the threat."

The WHO African Region continues to be most impacted, accounting for an estimated 94% of global cases, led by Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

When visiting these countries, the WHO recommends international travelers speak with a travel vaccine expert one month before departure. In November 2024, the WHO published a revised version of the consolidated Guidelines for malaria with an updated vaccine recommendation.

While malaria vaccines are available in Africa, they are unavailable in the USA in 2024.

In the U.S., most malaria cases are travel-related.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that as of the week ending November 23, 2024 (#47), 1,772 malaria cases had been confirmed in 2024, mostly among international travelers arriving in New York City (232), Texas, Miami, Florida, and Los Angeles, California. In 2023, there were 2,013 travel-related malaria cases in the U.S.