Malaria Programming

Though eliminated in some parts of the world decades ago, malaria remains a significant public health problem threatening half the world’s population. In 2022, there were 249 million malaria cases globally, leading to 608,000 deaths (WHO). The availability of simple, cost-effective interventions to prevent and treat the disease, including insecticide-treated mosquito nets, has led to a 60% decrease in malaria mortality rates since 2000, but progress in recent years has stalled, with the number of cases worldwide remained virtually unchanged over the past five years. 

Malaria disproportionately affects the poor and most marginalized communities as they are high-risk and have the least access to effective services. Due to more vulnerable immune systems, children under 5 years old, pregnant women and people living with HIV and AIDS are more susceptible to malaria. In 2022, children under 5 years accounted for 76% of all malaria deaths worldwide. A child dies of malaria nearly every minute (UNICEF). 

What is malaria? Read the facts, symptoms and what World Vision is doing.

World Vision is committed to fighting malaria until it is defeated. Prevention and treatment for malaria are woven into WV's core global health strategy. We work to strengthen health systems to make sure families have access to proper diagnosis, treatment and care, including Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM). Other interventions include the promotion of intermittent presumptive treatment for pregnant women, use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying of insecticides (IRS), and environmental hygiene interventions where sanitation issues that create breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes are addressed.

THE MALARIA VACCINE

In October 2021, the World Health Organization recommended that the RTS,S malaria vaccine be used for the prevention of malaria in children living in regions with moderate to high transmission. World Vision fully supports promoting the RTS,S vaccine because it has proven safe, effective, feasible and practical. Malaria vaccine rollout started in Cameroon in January  2024.