WHO Reports Record Low Malaria Deaths in 2025 After Historic RTS,S and R21 Vaccine Rollout

How Much Have Malaria Deaths Decreased?

According to WHO data, malaria killed an estimated 608,000 people in 2022 — the most recent year with comprehensive data at the time of this report. Deaths had remained stubbornly high, hovering between 600,000 and 630,000 annually during the COVID-19 pandemic years (2020–2022), after progress had stalled. The addition of effective vaccines to the malaria control toolkit beginning in 2024 is expected to significantly accelerate the decline in mortality.

The WHO reports that sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the overwhelming burden, accounting for approximately 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths globally. Children under 5 remain the most vulnerable group, representing roughly 80% of all malaria deaths in the region.

How Do the RTS,S and R21 Malaria Vaccines Work?

The RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) vaccine, developed by GSK, was the first malaria vaccine recommended by the WHO in October 2021. It targets the circumsporozoite protein on the surface of the Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite — the form of the parasite injected by mosquitoes. The vaccine prevents the parasite from reaching and infecting liver cells, where it would otherwise multiply before invading red blood cells.

The R21/Matrix-M vaccine, developed at the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, was recommended by the WHO in October 2023. It has a higher antigen-to-adjuvant ratio than RTS,S, achieving approximately 75% efficacy against clinical malaria in a phase III trial with seasonal administration in Burkina Faso (compared to roughly 36% for RTS,S over 4 years of follow-up). Crucially, R21 costs only $2–4 per dose and can be manufactured at large scale — the Serum Institute of India has committed to producing up to 100 million doses annually.

Which Countries Have Rolled Out Malaria Vaccines?

The vaccine rollout has expanded rapidly since initial pilot programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi that began in 2019 as part of the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP). Following WHO recommendations of both RTS,S and R21, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, approved funding for malaria vaccine introduction in a growing number of countries. By early 2026, more than 20 African nations have introduced or are actively planning to introduce malaria vaccination into their national immunization schedules, including high-burden countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, and Mozambique.

Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo — which together account for nearly 40% of global malaria deaths — have been prioritized for vaccine rollout. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has committed substantial funding to support malaria vaccination through 2030, and the R21 vaccine's lower cost and greater supply availability have been critical to enabling deployment at the scale needed across the continent.

Can Malaria Be Eliminated by 2030?

The WHO's Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 set a target of reducing malaria mortality by at least 90% by 2030 compared to 2015 levels. The WHO estimated approximately 620,000 malaria deaths in 2015, meaning the 90% target would require reducing annual deaths to roughly 62,000 — an ambitious goal that will require sustained investment and continued expansion of all available tools.

Researchers have noted that combining high vaccination coverage with next-generation long-lasting insecticidal nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention could dramatically reduce deaths in high-burden settings. Complete elimination of malaria in Africa, however, will likely require additional tools including gene-drive mosquito technologies (such as those being developed by the Target Malaria consortium) and transmission-blocking vaccines currently in clinical development.