Ifakara Masterclass Edition 42 – Reviewing the World Malaria Report 2022 & Priority R&D: A Masterclass with Global Experts

The 42nd edition of the masterclass hosted by Fredros Okumu from Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and Nana Aba Williams from MESA features Drs. Abdisalan Noor, Mary Hamel, George Jagoe, Wiweka Kaszubska, Tom McLean, Rosalind Howes, Kevin Tetteh, Scott Miller, Profs Abdoulaye Diabate and Pedro Alonso.

Each year, WHO’s World malaria report offers in-depth information on the latest trends in malaria control and elimination at global, regional and country levels. The report highlights progress towards global targets and describes opportunities and challenges for curbing and eliminating the disease.

This year’s report includes 3 new sections on:

1. Global and regional initiatives launched in 2021 and 2022;
2. Global malaria surveillance and country-level case studies on surveillance systems assessments; and
3. Research and development.

The report also includes an expanded section on threats to malaria control, with a focus on the declining effectiveness of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

The 2022 edition of the report finds that, despite disruptions to prevention, diagnostic and treatment services during the pandemic, countries around the world have largely held the line against further setbacks to malaria control. There were an estimated 619 000 malaria deaths globally in 2021 compared to 625 000 in the first year of the pandemic. In 2019, before the pandemic struck, the number of deaths stood at 568 000. Malaria cases continued to rise between 2020 and 2021, but at a slower rate than in the period 2019 to 2020. The global tally of malaria cases reached 247 million in 2021 compared to 245 million in 2020 and 232 million in 2019. 

Global experts engage in an insightful discourse about the latest trends and highlights about malaria control and elimination in this edition of the Masterclass.