2023 Year in Review

The 2023 World Malaria Report revealed that, following significant setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, malaria rates have stabilized in many respects. Nevertheless, malaria cases and deaths remain higher than they were pre-pandemic, in part due to growing drug and insecticide resistance, rising rates of humanitarian crises and displacement, an invasive new mosquito species in the African continent, among other threats.

And yet, despite these persistent challenges, there are many reasons to feel optimistic about the future of the malaria fight. More countries than ever are on the cusp of elimination. Proven prevention tools like next-generation bed nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) for children have seen massive scale-ups in recent years. And a host of innovative new tools – including two WHO-endorsed malaria vaccines, spatial repellents, and new drugs and diagnostics – are poised for mass deployment in the coming years.

2023 was a highly productive year for our campaign. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and corporate partners, United to Beat Malaria helped protect 715,142 people from malaria across three continents. In addition, we continued to advocate year-round for strong US leadership in the fight against malaria. In 2023, 152 Champions from 41 states led 226 meetings with Congressional offices to reinforce the vital importance of US-funded malaria programming, including The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria and the US President’s Malaria Initiative.

Below are a short film and graphics highlighting our impact in 2023.

The impact we made in 2023 wouldn’t be possible without YOU – our donors, NGO partners, corporate partners, and Champions – who make up the world’s largest grassroots movement fighting malaria. Together, we’ve protected over 40 million people from malaria over the past 17 years and contributed to a remarkable period of progress against this ancient disease. But there is still much work to be done: today, a child dies every minute from malaria. We are at a crossroads in the malaria fight; and we need your continued support to help reignite progress against this disease while taking urgent action to protect those most vulnerable.