Climate change, population growth threats as malaria fight stalls. Image credit: ENCA.
(The Post News) – The battle against malaria has seen significant progress over the past two decades. But it is now facing a troubling stall, according to campaigners and health experts. Climate change, population growth, and insufficient funding are factors threatening a resurgence of the potentially fatal disease.
In a new report released by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) and Malaria No More UK, experts reported that the resurgence of malaria could cost hundreds of thousands of lives and billions of dollars if the current trends continue. Despite less malaria-related deaths over the last 20 years, the report revealed that 2023 saw a major setback, with 590,000 lives lost to the disease worldwide.
“Several African countries had reported upsurges in cases between January and June 2025 after the heavy rainfalls, that leads to climate change,” stated the experts.
Reports indicate that alongside climate impacts, the rise in resistance to malaria drugs and insecticides has compounded the challenge. Mosquitoes that are resistant to the chemicals used in prevention measures are becoming more widespread, undermining decades of public health progress.
Experts also stated that insufficient funding for malaria prevention programs are becoming more expensive due to rising costs for treatments and interventions. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which finances 59% of global malaria efforts, has seen contributions lag behind the growing needs. “With global economic instability, trade disruptions, and insecurity in many affected regions, the funding gap is growing,” they said.
According to the experts, “lack of investment in malaria control programs risks undoing the hard-won gains of the past two decades, the report warned. If the trend continues, malaria could once again become a major health crisis in many countries, particularly in Africa, which accounts for 95% of global malaria cases.”
The World Malaria Report for 2024 released by the United Nations, indicated that there were approximately 263 million malaria cases worldwide in 2023, an increase of 11 million from the previous year. These rising numbers underline the urgent need for sustained and expanded funding to tackle the disease.
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