Everyone has the right to quality, timely, and affordable services to prevent, detect, and treat malaria, yet this is not a reality for all. Infants and young children continue to suffer the greatest mortality; in 2022, an estimated 4 out of 5 malaria-related deaths in the African Region were among children under 5 years of age.

Inequities in access to education and financial resources further exacerbates risk: children under 5 years of age from the poorest households in sub-Saharan Africa are 5 times more likely to be infected with malaria than those from the wealthiest households.