The World Health Organization's malaria fact sheet provides an overview of malaria, a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It highlights that malaria is preventable and curable, yet remains a significant glo...bal health challenge. Key statistics from 2023 indicate an estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 deaths worldwide, with the WHO African Region bearing the majority of this burden. The fact sheet details transmission methods, symptoms, at-risk populations, diagnostic approaches, treatment options—including the use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs)—and preventive measures such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). It also discusses the impact of malaria on vulnerable groups like children under five and pregnant women, and outlines WHO's global response strategies aimed at reducing malaria incidence and mortality rates.
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The CDC's "Malaria's Impact Worldwide" webpage provides an overview of malaria's global burden, highlighting that in 2022, there were approximately 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths, predominantly among young children in sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes that nearly half the world's po...pulation is at risk, with malaria being a leading cause of illness and death in many affected countries. The page also discusses the significant economic and social costs of malaria on individuals, families, communities, and nations. Despite progress in reducing mortality rates by 36% from 2010 to 2020, recent years have seen a plateau in advancements, underscoring the need for ongoing vigilance and research.
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New data from the WHO reveal that an estimated 2.2 billion cases of malaria and 12.7 million deaths have been averted since 2000, but the disease remains a serious global health threat, particularly in the WHO African Region. According to WHO’s latest World malaria report, there were an estimated ...263 million cases and 597 000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023. This represents about 11 million more cases in 2023 compared to 2022, and nearly the same number of deaths. Approximately 95% of the deaths occurred in the WHO African Region, where many at risk still lack access to the services they need to prevent, detect and treat the disease.
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Africa’s health sector is facing an unprecedented financing crisis, driven by a sharp decline of 70% in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 2021 to 2025 and deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities. This collapse is placing immense pressure on Africa’s already fragile health systems as ODA ...is seen as the backbone of critical health programs: pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services, disease control programs are all at
risk, threatening Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Universal Health Coverage. Compounding this is Africa’s spiraling debt, with countries expected to service USD 81 billion by 2025—surpassing anticipated external financing inflows—further eroding fiscal space for health investments. Level of domestic resources is low. TThe Abuja Declaration of 2001, a pivotal commitment made by African Union (AU) member states, aimed to reverse this trend by pledging to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to the health sector. However, more than two decades later, only three countries—Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde—have
consistently met or exceeded this target (WHO, 2023). In contrast, over 30 AU member states remain well below the 10% benchmark, with some allocating as little as 5–7% of their national budgets to health.
In addition, only 16 (29%) of African countries currently have updated versions of National Health Development Plan (NHDP) supported by a National Health Financing Plan (NHFP). These two documents play a critical role in driving internal resource mobilisation. At the same time, public health emergencies are surging, rising 41%—from 152 in 2022 to
213 in 2024—exposing severe under-resourcing of health infrastructure and workforce. Recurring outbreaks (Mpox, Ebola, cholera, measles, Marburg…) alongside effects of climate change and humanitarian crises in Eastern DRC, the Sahel, and Sudan, are overwhelming systems stretched by chronic underfunding. The situation is worsened by Africa’s heavy dependency with over 90% of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics being externally sourced—leaving countries vulnerable to global supply chain shocks. Health worker shortages persist, with only 2.3 professionals
per 1,000 people (below the WHO’s recommended 4.45), and fewer than 30% of systems are digitized, undermining disease surveillance and early warning. Without decisive action, Africa CDC projects the continent could reverse two decades of health progress, face 2 to 4 million additional preventable deaths annually, and a heightened risk of a pandemic emerging from within. Furthermore, 39 million more
Africans could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to intertwined health and economic shocks. This is not just a sectoral crisis—it is an existential threat to Africa’s political, social, and economic resilience, and global stability. In response, African leaders, under Africa CDC’s stewardship, are advancing a comprehensive three-pillar strategy centered on domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and blended finance.
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The "Pocket Manual for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Malaria", published by the Ministry of Health of the Sultanate of Oman, provides practical guidance for healthcare professionals on how to identify, manage, and treat malaria cases. It emphasizes parasitological confirmation before treatment, out...lines standard protocols for treating uncomplicated and severe malaria—including P. falciparum, P. vivax, and mixed infections—and specifies drug regimens based on patient weight and age. The manual also includes recommendations for travelers on malaria chemoprophylaxis and highlights the importance of prevention, especially for high-risk groups like children and pregnant women.
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Malawi's Ministry of Health officially declared on August 16, 2023, that the cholera outbreak is no longer a national health emergency. Since the outbreak began in February 2022, the country recorded 58,982 cholera cases and 1,768 deaths. Through coordinated efforts by the government, development pa...rtners, and local communities, the outbreak has been contained in 26 out of 29 districts.
Only a few isolated cases remain in areas affected by Cyclone Freddy. The Minister of Health emphasized the importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives to prevent future outbreaks. The World Health Organization (WHO) praised Malawi’s progress and pledged continued support to mitigate remaining risks.
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Human health and well-being are intimately linked to the state of the environment. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), climate change, air pollution and exposure to hazardous chemicals are major causes of environment-related burden of disease across the world. In the WHO South-East Asia Region, al...most a quarter of all deaths are attributable to the health impacts of environmental hazards. Air pollution is the leading cause of deaths from environmental risks and is a leading contributor to the NCD epidemic.
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Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT, sleeping sickness) and Animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT) are neglected tropical diseases generally caused by the same etiological agent, Trypanosoma brucei. Despite important advances in the reduction or disappearance of HAT cases, AAT represents a risky reserv...oir of the infections. There is a strong need to control AAT, as is claimed by the European Commission in a recent document on the reservation of antimicrobials for human use. Control of AAT is considered part of the One Health approach established by the FAO program against African Trypanosomiasis. Under the umbrella of the One Health concepts, in this work, by analyzing the pharmacological properties of the therapeutic options against Trypanosoma brucei spp., we underline the need for clearer and more defined guidelines in the employment of drugs designed for HAT and AAT. Essential requirements are addressed to meet the challenge of drug use and drug resistance development. This approach shall avoid inter-species cross-resistance phenomena and retain drugs therapeutic activity.
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In January 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a new road map to address the burden of disease and death imposed by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The end of the first year of the 2021-2030 NTD road map is an opportunity to take stock of where we stand and how we plan to move fo...rward.
Considerable progress has been made since 2012 when the first road map was adopted. As of 6 June 2022, forty-six countries have eliminated at least one NTD, while 600 million people no longer require treatment because they are no longer exposed to risks associated with the pathogens that previously harmed them. In some cases, diseases that have plagued humanity for centuries, such as sleeping sickness and Guinea worm disease, are at an all-time low. Less tangible, but also important, there has been significant progress in the way NTDs are viewed. Additionally, the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on NTD programmes is evident.
This brochure is the first in a series of advocacy briefs for the new NTD road map presenting highlights of success and challenges towards attaining the 2030 goals.
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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a vision of healthy lives and well-being for all at all ages. This major report provides an update on progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. It presents regional tren...ds between 2010 and 2022 for 50 health-related SDG indicators using available data from WHO and estimates from other United Nations agencies. The report reveals some successes at the country level amid a marked slowdown regionally with setbacks across indicators on health health risks and determinants and access to services. We are at the halfway point for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: to reverse current trends and ensure the health and well-being of our population we must take bold steps now.
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This chronology of facts has challenged public health systems worldwide and regulatory bodies are no exception. Regulatory authorities with mechanisms in place to authorize the use of investigational products had to development guidelines and procedures, create task forces and alliances to maximize ...the efficiency of assessment, review and authorizations of medical products. Vaccines are undoubtedly the most complex medical products to develop, from concept to a stage where sufficient evidence of quality, safety and efficacy are collected to provide an assurance that their use will provide more benefits than risks when used in the context of a public health emergency.
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Antimicrobial Resistance or AMR continues to pose a major threat to human development and to the fight against infectious diseases. It also endangers animal health and welfare, and food production, and severely impacts our economies and societies. An holistic approach must be used to mitigate AMR ri...sks in Africa. Therefore, AMR governance is essential to promote sustainable actions that include proper institutional collaborations from public and private sectors to meet the dynamic societal demands in the continent. So join us in being part of the solution to Antimicrobial Resistance in Africa!
The Video is available in English, French, Arabic and Portuguese
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major global threat across human, animal, plant food and environmental sectors, threatening the effective treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi, resulting in prolonged illness and increased mor...tality, often felt hardest by the most vulnerable populations. AMR also endangers the sustainability of agri-food systems and food safety.
Since 2010 there is a strong commitment from FAO, OIE and PAHO to fight AMR, working together to mitigate the risks in the interconnection among the human health, animal health and the environment. In this context, the organizations now joined forces in the implementation of the project ‘Working Together to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance’ to ensure a coherent “One Health” approach recognizing the multidimensionality and necessity of an intersectoral response that is needed to address the problem of AMR.
The overall strategic objective of the three-year project (2020-22) supported and financed by the European Union (EU) is to contribute to tackle AMR through the implementation of National AMR Action Plans by working with seven Latin American partner countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
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n response to the outbreak, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has been supporting African Union Member States in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic through a variety of interventions such as non-pharmaceutical interventions, quarantine, testing, isolation, contact t...racing, and clinical management. The Test to Treat guideline aims to increase continental testing efforts and reduce COVID-19 transmission in Africa and put-up response measures to control the impact of the virus, both to limit spread and to reduce substantially the risks of severe health outcomes related to COVID-19 infection. These countermeasures include highly effective vaccines and boosters, rapid testing options for monitoring exposure, and effective therapeutic options for both pre-exposure prevention and treatment of mild-to-moderate disease, oxygen therapy for moderate-severe disease, all of which can potentially be updated efficiently as new variants emerge that may affect the effectiveness of the available tools.
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Six months after the earthquake, World Vision's efforts have made it possible to provide emergency assistance to selected beneficiaries among the most vulnerable through the distribution of food and hygiene kits and to address the psychosocial needs of children, adolescents, and young people deprive...d of classrooms. During this recovery phase of the response by World Vision teams have been focusing on rebuilding and rehabilitating school infrastructure in order to facilitate the return to school in safer conditions given the almost permanent seismic risks. Six months later, the security situation continues to deteriorate with an increase in kidnappings and nationwide strikes to protest against the rising insecurity.
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Rumors emerge when people feel left out of the discussion, when their questions cannot be answered by authorities or their doubts are dismissed by official sources. But also, rumors present an opportunity – to understand the questions, concerns and anxieties communities may have about this pandemi...c.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Internews has followed its rumour-tracking methodology, including social media listening, to identify those rumors that are posing additional risks to the communities, ensuring content is collected from diverse demographic groups.
Internews produces and distributes rumor bulletins through its Rooted in Trust and its H2H (humanitarian-to-humanitarian network) projects. Rooted in Trust has collected close to 6,000 rumors from seven countries in 12 languages, and collects data across seven major social media platforms and a wide range of feedback collection channels. H2H is a collaboration to support responders at every level by analyzing information gaps and addressing them with evidence-based content in relevant languages, formats, and channels.
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Over 1 million women in Burkina Faso caught between conflict and COVID-19
More than a million women and girls in Burkina Faso are facing increased sexual violence, hunger and water shortage as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on top of the existing conflict, said Oxfam today.
In its report “...Women in Burkina Faso’s crisis: survivors and heroines”, Oxfam reveals that women and girls are exposed to unprecedented risks including daily harassment and aggression, especially in the fields and at water points.
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The document presents Cameroon's National Response Plan for the 2018 cholera outbreak, covering August to October 2018. It highlights the epidemiological situation, with outbreaks reported in the North and Central regions and a total of 109 suspected cases and 9 deaths by July 2018. The plan outline...s strategies for controlling the epidemic, including epidemiological surveillance, improved access to clean water, sanitation, mass vaccination, community awareness campaigns, and hospital and community-based treatment.
The response is coordinated by the Ministry of Public Health, WHO, and various partners, focusing on early detection, rapid response, and multi-sectoral collaboration. Challenges include poor sanitation, limited healthcare infrastructure, and cross-border disease transmission risks. The plan emphasizes resource mobilization, monitoring, and evaluation to contain the outbreak and prevent future cases.
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The study analyzes the global burden of cancer in 2020 attributable to alcohol consumption. Using data from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database and alcohol consumption patterns, it estimates that 4.1% of all new cancer cases globally (approximately 741,300 cases) were caused by alcohol. The most affected can...cers include esophageal, liver, and breast cancer, with heavy drinking contributing the most cases, followed by risky and moderate drinking. The study highlights regional differences, with the highest attributable fractions in Eastern Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. It underscores the need for policies to raise awareness about alcohol-related cancer risks and reduce alcohol consumption globally.
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