Today, 25 April 2014, we commemorate World Malaria Day under the theme "Invest in the future: Defeat malaria." This theme is a rallying call for increased investment to accelerate action to defeat malaria.
The WHO African Region continues to bear the brunt of the global burden of malaria. In 2012, 80% of the estimated 207 million malaria cases worldwide were in the African Region. In the same year, 90% of the estimated 627 000 global malaria deaths occurred in Africa. Malaria continues to have a severe socioeconomic impact on our populations. It is one of the causes of household poverty because it results in absenteeism from the daily activities of productive living and income generation. Malaria also continues to prevent many school children from attending school due to illness, diminishing their capacity to realize their full potential.