During the 39th African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, African Heads of State and Government called for enhanced and sustainable financing for malaria programs as a response to alarming findings presented in the African Union Malaria Progress Report 2025. This report, introduced by Botswana's President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, who chairs the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), illustrates significant concerns regarding Africa's battle against malaria, highlighting stalled progress and reduced international funding that threaten to overturn decades of advancements against the disease.

The report reveals that African Union Member States were responsible for a staggering 270.8 million malaria cases in 2024, accounting for 96% of global infections, and recorded nearly 594,119 fatalities, which represents 97% of all malaria deaths worldwide. With progress in reducing both the incidence and mortality rates of malaria stagnating since 2015, the report emphasizes the critical need for immediate and coordinated intervention to prevent a major resurgence of the disease across the continent.

As the leaders emphasized during the summit, the implications of this report could be dire without an injection of sustainable financial support and commitment to malaria initiatives. If Member States do not respond to the calls for urgent action, the continent may face an escalation in malaria cases, undermining previous achievements and endangering public health and economic stability in many African nations. The summit's outcomes could set the stage for future initiatives and collaborations aimed at reinstating momentum in the fight against malaria in Africa.