The World Health Organization (WHO) said about 2.2 billion cases of malaria were prevented since 2000 through education, use of mosquito nets and vaccination.
In this process, about 12.7 million deaths were avoided, WHO estimated in the report published on Wednesday. Seventeen countries now routinely vaccinate young children against malaria.
According to WHO estimates, doing so could prevent tens of thousands of deaths each year. Malaria is the most common tropical disease.
The parasite is transmitted by anopheles mosquitoes, which bite mainly in the evening and at night. The disease causes high fever and pain in the limbs and can be treated with drugs.
The WHO report says that, last year, a total of 597,000 people died from malaria - slightly less than in 2022. About 95% of the deaths were recorded in African countries.
There, many people still lack the tools to prevent infections or to diagnose and treat them, the WHO report said.
According to this organization, the infectious disease has already disappeared in 44 countries.
Of the 83 countries where it still occurs, 25 now have fewer than ten cases a year. In Africa, the death rate has decreased by 16% since 2015. /REL (A2 Televizion)
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