World Malaria day | |
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Observed by | All Member States of the World Health Organization |
Date | April 25 |
Next time | 25 April 2025 |
Frequency | annual |
World Malaria Day (WMD) is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria. Globally, 3.3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria.[1] In 2012, malaria caused an estimated 627,000 deaths, mostly among African children.[2] Asia, Latin America, and to a lesser extent the Middle East and parts of Europe are also affected.
World Malaria Day sprang out of the efforts taking place across the African continent to commemorate Africa Malaria Day. WMD is one of 11 official global public health campaigns currently marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, World Patient Safety Day, World Tuberculosis Day, World Chagas Disease Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis Day and World AIDS Day.[3]
According to the most recent World Malaria Report, the global tally of malaria reached 429,000 malaria deaths and 212 million new cases in 2015. The rate of new malaria cases fell by 21 per cent globally between 2010 and 2015, and malaria death rates fell by 29 per cent in the same period. In sub-Saharan Africa, case incidence and death rates fell by 21 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively.[4]