Malaria parasites are developing resistance to antimalarial drugs, threatening the effectiveness of treatment.
Mosquitoes are becoming resistant to insecticides, reducing the impact of primary vector control interventions.
Climate change is altering mosquito habitats and transmission patterns, posing new challenges for malaria control.
Innovative strategies and tools are needed to overcome these and other challenges to accelerate progress towards elimination.
Use data-driven strategies to drive impact: tailor malaria interventions to local contexts through evidence-based, data-driven strategies.
Accelerate innovation: invest in the research and development of new and more effective antimalarial drugs, diagnostics, insecticides, vaccines and vector control methods.
Unlock new funding solutions: explore and implement innovative financing mechanisms to bridge resource gaps for malaria control.
Turn research into action: foster collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and programme implementers to rapidly translate research findings into real-world impact.
Drug resistance: resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) has been detected in several countries in Southeast Asia and is a growing concern in Africa. New drugs and treatment strategies are urgently needed.
To date, four countries in East Africa have confirmed the presence of partial resistance to artemisinin (Eritrea, Rwanda, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania) and, based on available evidence, such resistance is also suspected in at least four other countries (Ethiopia, Sudan, Namibia, Zambia).
WHO’s Strategy to respond to antimalarial drug resistance in Africa calls for innovative approaches to delay the spread of drug-resistant malaria using currently available drugs
Insecticide resistance: resistance to pyrethroid insecticides, the most widely used class of insecticides for bed nets and indoor residual spraying, is widespread in many malaria-endemic countries. Resistance to pyrethroids was confirmed in 55 of the 64 countries between 2018 to 2023
Malaria vaccines: by March 2025, malaria vaccines had been rolled out in childhood immunization programmes in 18 African countries. Additional countries are expected to introduce and scale up malaria vaccines throughout 2025.
» With wide-scale deployment of these vaccines, tens of thousands of young lives could be saved every year.
» Continued investment in new and improved vaccines could yield even greater gains.
Climate change: shifts in temperature, rainfall, and humidity are altering mosquito habitats and transmission patterns. Extreme weather events are making it more difficult to control malaria. Climate-smart interventions are needed to adapt to changing conditions.
