World Malaria Day 2026

World Malaria Day, marked each year on 25 April, is an occasion to highlight the global efforts to end malaria and the need for sustained political commitment and continued investment for malaria control and elimination.

Despite decades of control efforts, malaria continues to pose a serious public health challenge. Hundreds of millions of infections occur every year, and the disease remains particularly dangerous for young children in sub-Saharan Africa. While substantial progress has been made since the early 2000s, recent years have shown that gains are fragile and require sustained investment and innovation.

Through its 2026 theme, “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must”, the World Health Organization aims to reinvigorate global efforts to control and ultimately eliminate malaria by promoting sustained investment, innovation, and strong partnerships.

World Malaria Day

25th April 2026

On World Malaria Day, let’s strive to “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must.” by:

• Eradicating discrimination and stigma
• Involving communities in health policy-making
• Ensuring healthcare is accessible in local communities through primary healthcare services
• Tackling factors that heighten the risk of malaria
• Integrating malaria control measures into universal health coverage

Download the Malaria strategy 2016 – 2030 here: GLOBAL TECHNICAL STRATEGY MALARIA 2016 to 2030
Doswnload the Global report on neglected tropical diseases 2025 here: GLOBAL REPORT ON NTD 2025

Source: WHO World Malaria Day 2026

See the Message from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO:

Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-malaria-day/2026

Facts about malaria

What is malaria?

Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted to humans by certain species of mosquitoes. It occurs mainly in tropical countries. It is preventable and curable.

Risk groups and symptomps

The risk of severe infection is higher in the following groups of people: Babies, children younger than 5 years, pregnant women, travelers, and people with HIV or AIDS. The most common early symptoms of malaria are fever, headache and chills. Symptoms usually appear within 10-15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Some types of malaria can cause severe illness and death. Severe symptoms include:

• extreme tiredness and fatigue
• impaired consciousness
• multiple convulsions
• difficulty breathing
• dark or bloody urine
• jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)
• abnormal bleeding.

Malaria Diagnosis

Early and accurate diagnosis is essential, as malaria symptoms are non-specific and resemble other febrile illnesses. The World Health Organization recommends confirming suspected cases with parasitological testing whenever possible. Microscopy remains a reference method, allowing species identification and parasite quantification. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are widely used in endemic areas because they provide results within minutes and require minimal laboratory infrastructure. In elimination settings, molecular tools may support surveillance and resistance monitoring.

Malaria Treatment

Prompt treatment prevents complications and reduces transmission. For uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, WHO recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) as first-line treatment. These combinations improve cure rates and help delay resistance. Severe malaria is a medical emergency. Intravenous artesunate is the preferred treatment, followed by a full course of oral therapy once the patient stabilizes. Continuous monitoring of drug efficacy and resistance patterns is essential to ensure treatment remains effective.

Malaria Prevention

Malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites or taking medication. The risk of contracting malaria from mosquito bites can be reduced, for example by using mosquito nets and protective clothing.

Vector control: Is a vital component of malaria control and elimination strategies. WHO currently recommends either the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) or indoor residual spraying (IRS) for malaria control in most malaria-prone areas. Complementary measures such as larviciding may be considered depending on the context and available resources.

Chemoprophylaxis: Travelers to malaria endemic areas should consult their physician several weeks before departure. The physician will determine which chemoprophylaxis medications are appropriate for the destination country. In some cases, chemoprophylaxis must be started 2-3 weeks before departure.

Preventive chemotherapies: Is the use of drugs, either alone or in combination, to prevent malaria infection and its consequences. It requires the administration of a full course of an antimalarial drug to vulnerable populations at specific times during the period of greatest malaria risk, regardless of whether the recipient is infected with malaria.

Vaccine: Beginning in October 2021, WHO recommends widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in children living in regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission. The vaccine has been shown to significantly reduce malaria and fatal severe malaria in young children.

Malaria Elimination

In 2024, 37 countries reported fewer than 1,000 indigenous cases of the disease, up from 33 countries in 2020 and only 13 countries in 2000. Countries that have reported no indigenous malaria cases for at least three consecutive years are eligible to apply for WHO’s malaria elimination certificate. Since 2015, 16 countries have been certified malaria-free by the WHO Director-General, including the Maldives (2015), Sri Lanka (2016), Kyrgyzstan (2016), Paraguay (2018), Uzbekistan (2018), Argentina (2019), Algeria (2019), China (2021), El Salvador (2021), Belize (2023), Azerbaijan (2023), Tajikistan (2023), Cabo Verde (2024), Egypt (2024), Suriname (2025), Timor-Leste (2025).
Countries and territories certified malaria-free by WHO
Ongoing measures are needed to prevent re-transmission.