Malaria is a life-threatening disease that is preventable and curable. In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria worldwide with an estimated number of malaria deaths of 627 000. Also in 2020, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria, and some population groups are at considerably higher risk of contracting malaria and developing severe disease: infants, children under 5 years of age, pregnant women, patients with HIV/AIDS, and inmuno-depressed.The African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2020, the region was home to 95% of malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths. Children under 5 accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in the Region (WHO, 2022).
Progress towards malaria-free status is continuous: countries, subnational areas and communities are at different stages on the path to malaria elimination, and intervention packages can be tailored for use in different settings within a country. Understanding of the microbiological, epidemiological, ecological and social features of eacharea, is crucial for national malaria programmes to determine the appropriate package of interventions to be used in each area. To harness innovation and expand research on those areas, investment in basic science and product development must be sustained but most importantly we need to work on strengthening the research capacity and enable a research environment in every health care setting.