Africa’s Long Battle With Malaria

For centuries, malaria has stood as one of Africa’s most persistent and deadly adversaries. Caused by parasites transmitted through Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria has killed millions across the continent, disproportionately affecting children under five and pregnant women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa accounts for over 95% of global malaria cases, with countries like Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Mozambique bearing the heaviest toll.

This ancient foe was already draining health systems, weakening economies, and shaping migration and settlement patterns long before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. When SARS-CoV-2 arrived in Africa in early 2020, experts quickly raised an alarming question: how would a continent already under siege from malaria withstand the added pressure of a novel global pandemic?