The recent report from the Ministry of Public Health on the malaria situation in Cameroon reveals that in 2023, the country recorded 2.9 million cases, including 1,756 deaths. However, these figures show a decline in the disease compared to 2022, when 3.3 million cases were recorded for 2,481 deaths.
Statistics from the Ministry of Public Health indicate that it was in 2019 that the greatest number of patients was recorded, with more than 3 million cases. It is also the deadliest year with 4,510 deaths. Note that for almost a decade, the number of deaths from malaria has never been as low as in 2022. We have also observed a drop in deaths from malaria since 2019. “Over the period 2019-2023, the malaria mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants exposed to malaria fell by 64%, from 17.7 to 6.3,” the document reads.
However, Cameroon remains poorly classified by the World Health Organization. The country is 9th among the 11 countries most affected by malaria in the world. According to figures from the Ministry of Public Health, in 2023, “28% of reasons for consultations (10,617,542 people were seen for consultations in health facilities, including 2,977,754 confirmed cases of malaria)”, and the disease represents 7.9% of hospitalizations in health facilities. Likewise, malaria represents 7.3% of deaths recorded in health facilities, i.e. for 23,979 deaths from all causes, 1,756 deaths are due to malaria.
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