As president of Botswana, I know how we can make malaria a memory in Africa | Duma Gideon Boko

The disease is soaring as funding is cut. African nations are plugging the gap but they need help with the transition

Botswana nearly defeated malaria. In 2024, we recorded just 290 cases and one death. Through our elimination efforts, many of our districts had seen no local malaria cases since 2010. Then, as is unfortunately the nature of malaria, it came back.

In the first 23 weeks of 2025 we recorded 2,223 cases and 11 deaths. The disease reached places where previously there was no malaria. We were not alone. Namibia recorded more than 95,000 cases in 2025, and Zimbabwe more than 156,000, according to government figures.