World Malaria Report 2025 

Why in News?

Release of World Malaria Report 2025

• The World Health Organization released the World Malaria Report 2025 (December), reviewing global progress five years ahead of the 2030 malaria elimination deadline, highlighting regional gains but serious systemic risks.

Global Malaria Status — Mixed Signals

Positive Trends in Asia-Pacific

• The Asia-Pacific region reported a decline in estimated malaria cases from 9.6 million (2023) to ~8.9 million (2024), driven by progress in 10 of 17 malaria-endemic countries.

Countries Showing Major Gains

• Pakistan recorded the largest absolute reduction, while Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam achieved historic lows for the second consecutive year, demonstrating feasibility of elimination with sustained interventions.

Drug Resistance — The Emerging Global Threat

Artemisinin Resistance

• Rising resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), the global frontline malaria treatment, is identified as a critical threat to elimination efforts.

Greater Mekong Subregion Success

• The Greater Mekong Subregion is cited as a success story in containing antimalarial drug resistance through early detection, strict treatment protocols, and regional coordination.

Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA)

Regional Political Platform

• The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) brings together 22 governments committed to malaria elimination by 2030, strengthening political ownership and cross-border coordination.

Uneven Progress Warning

• Despite two decades of progress, APLMA notes that the region is not fully on track due to resurgence in complex settings and plateauing gains in high-burden areas.

Financing Crisis in Malaria Control

Global Funding Gap

• Only ~42% of global malaria financing needs were met in 2024, and funding cuts in 2025 have widened the shortfall further, undermining elimination-phase interventions.

Impact of Underinvestment

• Funding constraints are forcing countries to scale back proven interventions, increasing the risk of resurgence, emergency responses, and avoidable deaths.

India’s Malaria Elimination Trajectory

 National Targets

• India aims to achieve zero indigenous malaria cases by 2027, three years ahead of the global 2030 target.

Progress Since 2015

• India has recorded steep reductions in cases and deaths, with many districts sustaining zero transmission for multiple years, demonstrating proof-of-concept for elimination.

Recent Warning Signs

• Recent data shows plateauing progress and localised rebounds, indicating India is currently off the elimination trajectory required to meet the 2027 milestone.

Key Shifts Required for India

Surveillance as the Core Intervention

• Transition from passive control to real-time, case-based surveillance, including mandatory reporting from private sector, defence services, railways, and urban health systems.

Targeting Residual Hotspots

• Five States and the North-East account for nearly 80% of India’s malaria burden, requiring project-mode execution, while near-elimination States must prevent resurgence.

Financing and Accountability

• Malaria elimination must be treated as a time-bound national mission, with assured funding, operational discipline, and outcome-based accountability through the last mile.

Artemisinin Resistance — India’s Position

Preventive Strategy

• Artemisinin resistance is not yet established in India, due to:
  • Universal parasitological diagnosis
  • Strict use of combination therapy
  • Ban on oral artemisinin monotherapy
  • Routine therapeutic efficacy studies and pharmacovigilance

Need for Regional Cooperation

• Drug resistance cannot be managed country-by-country; cross-border coordination is essential to prevent spread.

Vaccines — A New Tool in the Arsenal

RTS,S and R21 Vaccines

• RTS,S has reduced severe malaria and child mortality in large-scale African pilots.
• R21 has shown comparable or higher efficacy in controlled trials.

Asia-Pacific Strategy

• Vaccines are prioritised for Africa, but Asia-Pacific countries are evaluating targeted deployment to complement surveillance and vector control.

Economic Case for Elimination

Returns on Investment

• Evidence shows every dollar invested in malaria elimination yields multiple dollars through reduced healthcare costs, higher productivity, and stronger community resilience.

Cost of Delay

• Underinvestment during the elimination phase is more expensive, leading to resurgence cycles, repeated emergencies, and long-term fiscal burdens.

Core Takeaways

Elimination Is Achievable but Fragile

• The Asia-Pacific experience confirms malaria elimination is technically feasible, but success depends on financing continuity, last-mile execution, and resistance management.