Every year on 25 April, people around the world remember the fight against malaria. The 2026 theme was “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must.”
The good news
- Since 2000, the world has saved at least 14 million lives from malaria.
- New tools, like better nets and vaccines, prevented about 1 million deaths in 2024 alone.
- 47 countries are now free of malaria.
The bad news
- In 2024, 282 million people got malaria and 610,000 died. Most were young children in Africa.
- In some countries, the main malaria medicine is starting to work less well.
- There is less money for malaria work than before. This means fewer nets, tests and medicine.
What can you do?
- Learn the facts and share them, for example with our free series.
- Sleep under a net every night.
- Test every fever.
- Give a net or a test kit.
Watch: Episode 1, Background to Malaria → See the free series
Sources: WHO World Malaria Report 2025; WHO news release (4 December 2025)
