World Malaria Day 2024: Date, History, Theme And Significance

Observed worldwide on April 25 annually, World Malaria Day is a global initiative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to create awareness about the life-threatening disease.

Malaria is a vector-borne disease that is caused by plasmodium parasites passed on through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Early detection is crucial to providing timely medical assistance and avoiding extreme health concerns.

According to WHO, 94% of all malaria cases are in the African region. In 2022, the organisation recorded 245 million new cases and 608,000 deaths worldwide due to this disease.

World Malaria Day is observed on April 25 every year.

World Malaria Day, first observed in 2007, has its origins in Africa Malaria Day, an event that had been observed since 2001 by African governments. In 2007, at the 60th session of the World Health Assembly, it was proposed that Africa Malaria Day be changed to World Malaria Day.

This year’s World Malaria Day theme is 'Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.' This theme highlights barriers to health equity, gender equality, and human rights worldwide.

Based on a vision of a malaria-free world, it aims to encourage individuals and health practitioners to take the right measures to overcome obstacles in fighting this disease.

According to WHO, this year’s theme will focus on the following:

• Ending discrimination and stigma 

• Engaging communities in health decision-making 

• Bringing health care close to where people live and work through primary health care 

• Addressing factors that increase malaria risk 

• Including malaria control interventions in universal health coverage 

This day is observed to create awareness and ensure medical aid for those infected with malaria. The WHO wants to educate people about the disease which will help them to approach medical experts before it is too late. For instance, pregnant women have less immunity ,which makes them more susceptible to malaria. Similarly, migrants, refugees, and internally displaced people have a higher risk of malaria.

Besides, climate changes and man-made disasters can also make malaria endemic in many countries. This day is observed so that people are aware of such instances and can reach out to the right people for appropriate medical guidance.