Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current Situation and Future Strategies

Abstract

Malaria is a life-treating disease caused by parasites, which can be transmitted by mosquitoes. Some population groups, such as newborn babies, children under five, and people in pregnancy, are vulnerable to malaria and may likely develop severe diseases. Nearly half of the population around the world was at risk of developing malaria in 2020, even though many countries have successfully eliminated malaria already. Thus, there is an urgent need to eradicate malaria around the world. Although malaria incidence has decreased significantly due to the worldwide implementation of various interventions, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) holds a significant portion of the cases and deaths. Thus, it is critical to reduce malaria incidence in SSA in order to reduce the global malaria burden. This article summarizes the policies implemented from past to present in SSA the challenges that the region currently encounters, and future strategies the region should develop based on the success of past practices of other countries.