Malaria fight under threat as US funding cuts raise fears in Africa

A baby receives a malaria vaccine by a nurse at the maternity ward of the Ewin Polyclinic in Cape Coast, Ghana, on 30 April, 2019. © AFP - CRISTINA ALDEHUELA

In 25 years, investment in the fight against malaria has prevented two billion infections and 13 million deaths, most of them in Africa, which carries nearly all of the burden of the disease. But as cases rise for a fifth year in a row and US funding is cut, experts warn that progress is slowing. Reaching the UN goal of ending malaria by 2030 now looks increasingly uncertain.

Despite major gains, the World Health Organization (WHO) said efforts to stop malaria remain too slow. The disease killed 597,000 people in 2023.