WHO launches World Malaria Report 2015

To mark the end of the Millenium Development Goals and the beginning of the Sustainable Development Goals, today the World Health Organization have launched the World Malaria Report 2015. This report assesses global malaria disease trends and changes in the coverage and financing of malaria control programmes between 2000 and 2015. It looks at the impact of malaria interventions on the disease burden, tracks progress towards global targets and elimination, and reviews financial resource commitments and financial gaps.

This year highlights from the report include:

• The number of malaria cases globally fell from an estimated 262 million in 2000, to 214 million in 2015, a decline of 18%;
  
• The number of malaria deaths globally fell from an estimated 839 000 in 2000, to 438 000 in 2015 , a decline of 48%;
• They estimate that a cumulative 1.2 billion fewer malaria cases and 6.2 million fewer malaria deaths occurred globally between 2001 and 2015.

This is largely thanks to the increased commitment and investment in prevention and treatment measures such as insecticide-treated bed nets and the availability of the highly successful antimalarial medicines Artemisinin Combination Therapies.

However, the report also discusses the challenges that lie ahead for the the eradication and elimination of malaria throughout the world:

• Although, much progress has been made tackling falciparum malaria, the same can't be said for vivax malaria. Information on the population-attributable risks of severe disease and death from P. vivax malaria is sparse, and further research to make more accurate estimates of the illness associated with the disease is needed to tackle this major public health threat.
• Artemisinin drug resistance is now firmly established in five countries in Southeast Asia. The Strategy for Malaria Elimination in the Greater Mekong subregion (2015–2030) is prioritising  areas affected by resistance, including resistance to artemisinin combination therapies, in order to reduce further emergence and spread of drug resistance and increase the possibility of eradication in the region.

"We have arrived at a pivotal moment. Global progress in malaria control over the last 15 years is nothing short of remarkable. Let us not lose momentum. Together, we can transform the health, well being and livelihood of millions of people across the globe," says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Secretary General in the report.