Ranked: Countries with highest malaria death rates in the world, 2024

Malaria is a significant global health concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were approximately 249 million cases of malaria and 608,000 deaths related to the disease in 2022 across 85 countries. These numbers highlight that malaria is a severe issue that needs to be tackled. Researchers from CEOWORLD magazine consider it a crucial healthcare dilemma that needs to be addressed to help eradicate the disease. In Africa, malaria affected 233 million people, accounting for 94% of malaria cases, with 580,000 malaria-related deaths reported in the continent. Additionally, children under the age of five accounted for about 80% of all fatalities in Africa caused by the disease.

In this report, readers will discover more about the severity of malaria through the presentation of the ten countries where it is prevalent. They will also know more about the ways on how it can be prevented.

How does malaria afflict people?

As a life-threatening sickness, malaria can result in a patient becoming severely ill or dying. This disease is spread to humans through the bites of female Anopheles, a type of mosquito that is infected and harms people. Besides mosquito bites, malaria can also be transmitted through contaminated needles and blood transfusion. This ailment is common in Africa’s tropical regions. Moreover, people who are at higher risk of severe malaria infection are HIV/AIDS patients, babies, tourists, pregnant mothers, and children below five years old.

Once contracted, a malaria patient can experience mild symptoms like headaches, chills, and fevers. His sickness can be the same as the many febrile ailments and challenging to be recognized as malaria. Symptoms typically begin within 10 to 15 days after getting bitten by the infected female Anopheles mosquito. These moderate signs are usually experienced by people who have had malaria infection in the past. There are also unspecific malaria symptoms. Thus, people need to be tested for the disease early.

Malaria infection can progress to a severe sickness if left untreated. Expectant mothers can deliver infants with low birth weight or be in premature delivery. Additionally, malaria patients with life-threatening symptoms become confused, extremely exhausted, or have impaired consciousness. They may find it hard to breathe, expel bloody or dark urine, or bleed abnormally. Severe malaria signs also consist of multiple seizures or convulsions and having jaundice, which is marked by the yellowing of the skin and eyes. Patients who become critically ill due to malaria can die within a day.

Which countries have the highest incidence of malaria deaths?

CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers discovered that Africa has a disproportionately high share of the international malaria problem. Out of the 241 million malaria cases that occurred in the continent, they found that 627,000 patients lost their lives to the deadly disease.

Countries with highest malaria death rates in the world, 2024

In the list above, the Central African Republic is at the top, with 105.16 malaria deaths recorded per 1,000 individuals. In this African country, patients struggle for medicines and the aid of healthcare professionals. Nigeria is also on the top 10 list above, where roughly 31.9 percent of the world’s people who passed away from malaria hail. Many of this West African country’s people are impoverished, with 40 percent living on less than US$2 daily. Nigerians’ high poverty incidence has impacted their capability to practice good hygiene, leading to 96.87 malaria deaths per 1,000 individuals in 2020.

Malaria is the major cause of death in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 92.13 fatalities per 1,000 people were recorded in 2020. About 13.2 percent of the global malaria deaths came from this country in Central Africa. Malaria affects the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s rural regions the most, and a leading problem is the lack of access to nearby hospitals.

The list above does not include other African countries with high incidences of malaria deaths. One of them is Tanzania where 43.48 malaria fatalities per 1,000 individuals were recorded in 2020. This country is where 4.1 percent of the world’s malaria deaths come from. Approximately 93 percent of Tanzanians reside in malaria-transmission locales, making their territory among Africa’s most infected areas.

Mozambique is also a crucial place for malaria deaths where 76.04 patients per 1,000 people lost their lives to the ailment in 2020. This country in southeastern Africa accounts for roughly 53 percent of all the world’s malaria fatalities. The data above indicates that malaria is, indeed, a severe healthcare problem in Africa. However, addressing this fatal disease is not a lost cause because treatment and prevention measures are present.

Furthermore, the WHO has commenced implementing its resolution plan, which comprises international access to malaria treatment, diagnosis, and prevention. It has a target of decreasing malaria’s adverse effects worldwide by about 90 percent by 2030. Global malaria responses consist of innovation, monitoring, and research.

How can people avoid contracting malaria?

African people from malaria-prone countries and visitors can secure themselves from the deadly ailment by avoiding getting bitten by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Controlling these parasites indoors and outdoors by installing screens in doors and windows is effective.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts in Africa where malaria is widespread. Using Environmental Protection Agency or EPA-registered insect repellents is also helpful.

Malaria is avoidable by treating gear and clothes with permethrin, which is a type of insecticide and medication. Once contracted and symptoms appear, patients must get emergency care and medicines immediately to halt the infection from becoming serious and leading to death.

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