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According to the World Malaria Report, released on Monday, the situation is particularly concerning in high-burden countries in Africa.

The UN health agency urged nations and health partners to step up the fight against malaria, with better targeting of interventions, new tools and increased funding.

“It is time for leaders across Africa – and the world – to rise once again to the challenge of malaria, just as they did when they laid the foundation for the progress made since the beginning of this century,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Through joint action, and a commitment to leaving no one behind, we can achieve our shared vision of a world free of malaria.”

Though preventable and curable, malaria continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year. According to WHO, nearly half of the world’s population is at risk of the disease and most cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Photo courtesy of Ed Uthman.