Is malaria the leading cause of death worldwide?

Malaria Is Not the Leading Cause of Death Worldwide

No, malaria does not kill more people than any other disease globally—cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and respiratory diseases all cause substantially more deaths annually. While malaria remains a major global health problem with significant mortality, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, it accounts for a fraction of total global deaths compared to leading non-communicable diseases.

Current Global Malaria Mortality

• Malaria caused approximately 619,000 deaths globally in 2021, with the burden heavily concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa 1
• Historical estimates from 2005 indicated more than 1 million deaths annually, primarily among children 2
• The most recent comprehensive analysis found 234.8 million clinical cases of P. falciparum malaria in 2022, representing the highest number since 2004, though mortality continued to decline except during COVID-19-impacted years of 2020-22 3
• In 2018, malaria caused 228 million clinical episodes and 405,000 deaths, with most mortality occurring among children in sub-Saharan Africa 4

Malaria as a Public Health Priority

• Malaria is described as "a major global public health problem" with an estimated 300-500 million cases annually, but this does not make it the leading cause of death 2
• The disease causes approximately 482,000 deaths in children younger than 5 years old (2012 data), making it a significant cause of child mortality specifically, but not the leading cause of all deaths 2
• P. falciparum is the most lethal species and responsible for the majority of malaria deaths, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa 5

Geographic Concentration of Burden

• The malaria burden remains largely concentrated in the WHO sub-Saharan African region, where it is recognized as a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality 1
• In India, malaria causes over 1 million infections and 2,000 deaths each year, with South India contributing significantly to this burden 6
• Nearly 14% of the Indian population is at high-risk for malaria 6

Important Context on Global Mortality Trends

• Despite the plateau in infection prevalence rates since 2015, deaths from malaria continued to decline in sub-Saharan Africa and globally (except during COVID-19 years) 3
• The unprecedented investment in malaria control since the early 2000s has averted an enormous amount of malaria burden, though case incidence rates in Africa have flattened 3
• Malaria remains endemic in many poor nations, particularly in Africa, where it is blamed for retarding economic growth, but this reflects its socioeconomic impact rather than being the leading cause of death 7

Clinical Significance

While malaria is not the leading cause of death worldwide, it remains a critical public health priority because:

• It causes substantial morbidity affecting approximately 3 billion people living at risk 8
• The disease carries a huge burden that impairs economic and social development of large parts of the planet 8
• Rapid population growth in sub-Saharan Africa means absolute case numbers continue to rise despite declining rates 3