In 25 years, investment in the fight against malaria has prevented two billion infections and 13 million deaths, most of them in Africa, which carries nearly all of the burden of the disease. But as cases rise for a fifth year in a row and US funding is cut, experts warn that progress is slowing. Reaching the UN goal of ending malaria by 2030 now looks increasingly uncertain.
Despite major gains, the World Health Organization (WHO) said efforts to stop malaria remain too slow. The disease killed 597,000 people in 2023.
A WHO report released in December showed 263 million cases in 2023, 11 million more than in 2022. It was the fifth year in a row that cases increased.
Africa is the worst-hit region, accounting for around 95 percent of malaria deaths each year.
In 2023, Africa’s malaria death rate was estimated at 52 per 100,000 people – more than twice the target set by the global strategy to end malaria by 2030.
World Malaria Day 2025 comes with the theme “Malaria ends with us: reinvest, reimagine, reignite”.
The WHO is calling for “stepped up political and financial commitment to protect the hard-won gains against malaria”.
Malaria deaths drop to pre-Covid levels, but WHO warns progress still too slow
Recent progress includes new tools, such as mosquito nets treated with two insecticides instead of one, a second malaria vaccine, and research into making human blood toxic to mosquitoes.
“Innovation is absolutely essential,” Philippe Duneton, director of Unitaid, the organisation responsible for facilitating access to treatments for malaria told RFI.
He said one of the main challenges is “the problem of mosquito resistance to insecticides and parasite resistance to drugs”.
Cameroon sees drop in child deaths
More countries are making malaria control and elimination a national priority, as can be seen by the Yaoundé Declaration, signed in March 2024 by African Ministers of Health from 11 high burden countries.
In Cameroon, where malaria kills nearly 11,000 children in the country each year, the government received more than 950,000 doses of the vaccine in 2024.
According to the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), the administration of initial doses has been a success with 70 percent coverage.
RFI’s correspondent in Yaoundé said doubts about the vaccine have started to fade, but fewer than 50 percent have had the third dose.
Despite this, the vaccination rate for subsequent doses is less convincing, with less than 50 percent for the third dose.
Cameroon receives first shipment of ‘breakthrough’ malaria vaccine
According to Shalom Ndoula Tchokfe, secretary of the EPI, the implementation of a new vaccination schedule could explain this.
“These are unusual appointments for mothers. Because the child has to be brought in at six months, seven months, and nine months,” he told RFI.
Data from Cameroon’s Health Ministry shows a sharp drop in child deaths from malaria in the 42 health districts where the vaccine has been used.
But Ndoula Tchokfe said it is too soon to credit the vaccine alone.
“We cannot say that it is attributable to vaccination only because there have also been several malaria control efforts that have been strengthened, including season chemical prevention and other strategies put in place by the authorities,” he says.
Cameroon will receive new doses of vaccine next September.
Côte d’Ivoire kicks off African rollout of promising new malaria vaccine
Mali to receive vaccines
On Friday, Mali will join 19 other African countries in introducing vaccines through the GAVI vaccine alliance.
Malaria vaccines have been rolled out on the African continent since April 2019 – first in Malawi, with Kenya and Ghana following suit.
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However, humanitarian groups are worried about the impact of US President Donald Trump’s move to freeze America’s foreign aid budget, while other donors, notably in Europe, have also made cuts to their financing.
Global aid in chaos as Trump proposes to slash funds and dismantle USAID
Although Washington announced some exemptions for the fight against malaria, it doesn’t reassure those on the ground.
According to the Malaria Atlas Project consortium of researchers, a year of a complete freeze in US funding would result in 15 million more malaria cases and 107,000 more deaths.
On the African continent, malaria kills approximately 500,000 people each year.
Many of the countries most affected by the disease are about to enter the rainy season.
Duneton says funding cuts have already caused some “delays and shortages in the delivieries of mosquito nets in Sahel countries”.
Read or Listen to this story on the RFI website.
Mali Pioneers Novel Hybrid Vaccine Delivery Approach to Combat Malaria
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The 18th edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations is officially underway in Egypt, promising three weeks of thrilling football action from the continent’s rising stars.
Running from 27 April to 18 May 2025, this prestigious youth tournament not only crowns the champions of Africa at U-20 level but also serves as a direct qualification route to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025, with four coveted spots available.
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament
Host Nation and Venues
Egypt, three-time U-20 continental champions, was confirmed as the replacement host after Côte d’Ivoire withdrew earlier this year.
The matches are being staged across three cities — Cairo, Ismailia, and Suez — making use of four major stadiums:
Egypt has a strong record of organizing major continental tournaments and is expected to deliver yet another successful event, after recently hosting the senior AFCON in 2019 and the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations the same year.
Format and Group Stage
The 13 qualified teams have been divided into three groups — one of five teams (Group A) and two of four teams (Groups B and C).
The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the quarter-finals. From there, a traditional knockout system will be followed.
The groups are:
All group-stage matches are played in a round-robin format, with three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss.
In the event of tied points, head-to-head results, goal difference, goals scored, and even drawing of lots may come into play to determine rankings.
What’s at Stake
In addition to lifting the continental title, the stakes are incredibly high: the four semi-finalists will earn automatic qualification to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year.
Africa has traditionally performed strongly at U-20 World Cups, with Ghana winning in 2009 and Senegal finishing runners-up in 2023. The qualification battle in Egypt 2025 promises to be fierce.
The Qualified Teams
The tournament features a blend of seasoned campaigners and exciting debutants.
Notable qualifiers include:
Star Players to Watch
The TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations has a rich tradition of unearthing future global stars. Legends such as Mohamed Salah, Samuel Eto’o, and Didier Drogba made their first mark at youth tournaments like this.
Key players expected to shine in Egypt 2025 include:
Defending Champions and Big Contenders
Senegal enters as defending champions, hoping to continue their recent dominance in African youth football. However, they will face stiff competition from Nigeria, Ghana, and hosts Egypt, all of whom have pedigree at this level.
South Africa and Morocco also present serious challenges, with strong squads capable of going deep into the tournament.
Egypt’s Preparation and Facilities
Egypt’s selection as host brings a guarantee of world-class organization. All four stadiums have been upgraded, and training facilities meet CAF’s highest standards.
Security, hospitality, and medical services have been prioritized, with fans expected to enjoy a safe and festive tournament atmosphere across Cairo, Ismailia, and Suez.
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Historical Background
The CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations has been played since 1979, originally as a home-and-away tournament before evolving into a full host-nation event from 1991.
The tournament has launched the careers of many African greats, and its importance in the footballing calendar cannot be overstated.
Previous winners include:
Key Dates
The final is set to be played at the Cairo International Stadium, one of Africa’s most iconic venues.
How to Follow the Action
Fans across Africa and beyond can follow the tournament live through CAF’s official broadcast partners including SuperSport, beIN Sports, Canal+, and on CAF TV’s YouTube channel.
Daily match reports, highlights, and exclusive interviews will also be available on CAFOnline.com and across CAF’s social media platforms.
Read the original article on CAF.
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As the G20 presiding nation, South Africa has an opportunity to champion issues relevant to emerging economies. One of these issues is government subsidisation of privately owned fossil fuel corporations.
Fossil fuel subsidies are paid when a government covers some of the costs involved in producing fossil fuel energy. This can be done by increasing the revenue received by oil, gas or coal companies, or lowering the price paid by consumers for fossil fuel based energy.
Fossil fuel subsidies may include tax breaks, low interest loans, and underpriced energy, all of which reduce costs for companies or consumers and encourage more fossil fuel use.
Some subsidies are explicit: when fuel is sold below its real supply cost or when producers receive financial support from the government. Others are implicit: when fuel prices don’t reflect the full environmental and health costs. For example, what the consumer pays for petrol excludes the cost of impacts like pollution.
Read more: Countries spend huge sums on fossil fuel subsidies – why they’re so hard to eliminate
African countries such as South Africa, Ethiopia and Morocco all subsidise fossil fuel companies. This can mean taking on debt, raising taxes, or cutting public spending to free up money for the subsidies. This hits low-income households, which rely on public services the most.
South Africa’s fossil fuel subsidies tripled from R39 billion (US$2.05 billion) in 2018 to R118 billion (US$6.2 billion) in 2023. Fossil fuel subsidies can occur for many reasons, such as making fuel more affordable for low-income households, to promote economic competitiveness or to attract industry. Yet the country wants to move away from fossil fuels, which have damaged local communities and the environment.
Read more: Vast subsidies keeping the fossil fuel industry afloat should be put to better use
I am an environmental scientist who researches emerging risks from fossil fuel pollution and how industrial risks are governed. My research, as well as work by others, shows that fossil fuel subsidies are associated with greater greenhouse gas emissions. Now there’s an opportunity for South Africa to do something about it at scale.
South Africa has set four key priorities for its 2025 G20 presidency. These are: strengthening disaster resilience; keeping debt levels down; mobilising the finance needed to move to renewable energy; and setting up green industries.
South Africa, as G20 president, should push for fossil fuel subsidies to be shifted into funding cleaner energy and climate adaptation.
This should be paired with strong support for clean energy investments and measures to retrain fossil fuel workers for sustainable, green economy jobs.
The cost of fossil fuel subsidies
The G20 is made up of 19 of the world’s largest economies, spanning both developed and developing nations, along with two regional blocs: the European Union and the African Union. Collectively, its members represent 85% of global gross domestic product, over 75% of international trade, and approximately two-thirds of the world’s population.
Developed countries are the largest historical contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve built their industries using fossil fuels.
Globally, fossil fuel subsidies amount to US$11 million every minute. Despite a commitment in 2009 to scale back subsidies, the G20 nations spent over US$1 trillion on them in 2023.
Read more: Fossil fuel subsidies cost Canadians a lot more money than the carbon tax
That’s despite the damage these pollutants have caused to the environment and their contribution to climate change. There is clear scientific evidence that phasing out these subsidies would save millions of lives fast, through reduced air pollution. Over the long term, it would save lives of people who would otherwise die in extreme weather events.
The world’s 20 largest fossil fuel companies have contributed to 35% of global emissions since 1965. Yet many have avoided financial accountability for the environmental damage they have caused. Subsidising fossil fuel companies also makes unsubsidised renewable energy less affordable. Developing countries then become locked in to high carbon (fossil fuel-based) pathways.
South Africa has a deep dependence on fossil fuels. Eskom, the state-owned power utility, relies on burning coal to generate electricity, which causes over 99.8% of its greenhouse gas emissions. Despite ambitious renewable energy goals, the country struggles to secure sufficient investment in clean energy projects. By advocating for an end to fossil fuel subsidies at the G20 level, South Africa can help level the playing field for renewables and address its own energy security challenges.
A commitment yet to be fulfilled
Ending fossil fuel subsidies is not a new idea. The International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Energy Agency, along with civil society advocacy groups, agree that phasing out these subsidies is essential.
The G20 nations pledged in 2009 to phase out fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption and undermine efforts to tackle climate change. But progress has been slow because of political resistance and lobbying by the fossil fuel industry. The result is that many of the G20 nations have not invested enough in renewable energy. They have continued to heavily subsidise fossil fuels.
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What South Africa can do as G20 president
Ending fossil fuel subsidies is not just about removing financial support. It is about using those resources better by redirecting the money to solar, wind and other renewable technologies.
As G20 president, South Africa should set up a working group or ministerial dialogue focused on subsidy reform. Forging coalitions with other emerging economies and civil society actors will build support.
Read more: Polluters must pay: how COP29 can make this a reality
South Africa can help reshape the global conversation to centre on economic justice and energy security.
As president it should encourage G20 members to adopt clear, actionable renewable energy transition plans that safeguard workers (like coal and oil workers) and communities who will be left worse off when fossil fuel subsidies end and their industries close down. This will ensure a just and inclusive move towards a cleaner energy future.
Llewellyn Leonard, Professor of Environmental Science, University of South Africa
This article is republished from The Conversation Africa under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.
AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa – aggregating, producing and distributing 500 news and information items daily from over 110 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC.
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