Burkina Faso’s historic malaria decline in 2025 fuels 2030 elimination target

Burkina Faso has achieved a significant milestone in its ongoing battle against malaria, a disease the nation is committed to eradicating by 2030. The year 2025 witnessed an unprecedented reduction in both malaria cases and associated deaths. Dr. Lucien Jean-Claude Kargougou, the Minister of Health, shared these encouraging developments with the press on Friday, February 20, 2026, in Ouagadougou.

The total number of malaria cases across Burkina Faso decreased from 10,805,000 in 2024 to 7,329,000 in 2025, marking a substantial 32% decline. For children under five years old, this reduction was even more pronounced, with over 1,900,000 fewer cases, representing approximately a 38% drop.

Malaria-related fatalities also saw a dramatic decrease, falling from 3,523 deaths in 2024 to 1,900 in 2025 – a remarkable 48% reduction. Dr. Kargougou further highlighted an 893-death reduction among children under five during 2025.

According to Dr. Lucien Jean-Claude Kargougou, Burkina Faso’s objective is unequivocal: “To eliminate malaria by 2030.” He emphasized, “To achieve this, we must maintain our current trajectory, enhance living environment sanitation, intensify the implementation of high-impact interventions (such as malaria vaccination, consistent use of mosquito nets, and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Plus), bolster communication for behavioral change, solidify community engagement, and secure sustainable funding.”

The Health Minister stressed that these positive outcomes are not coincidental. “They stem from a clear political vision, championed by His Excellency the President of Faso, Head of State, Captain Ibrahim TRAORE, who prioritizes equitable access to healthcare and population protection at the core of public action.”

He further noted that these results reflect the unwavering commitment of the Government and the collective mobilization of all national stakeholders and partners.

According to Dr. Kargougou, the establishment of the National Multisectoral Committee for Malaria Control (CONAMEP) has significantly improved national coordination and reinforced a strong conviction: successful malaria elimination requires multisectoral mobilization and active community participation.

“The nationwide campaign for the universal and free distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets successfully distributed nearly 15 million next-generation bi-impregnated nets, with a clear objective: to achieve an utilization rate of at least 80%.

These new-generation bi-impregnated mosquito nets have proven more effective against insecticide resistance compared to those previously used in our country,” he stated.

More than 33,000 community volunteers and 7,000 health workers traversed cities and remote villages, including areas facing security challenges, to ensure equitable protection for households, as highlighted by the Health Minister. He affirmed, “This close engagement has strengthened community ownership and collective responsibility.”

Furthermore, he added that the widespread rollout of free malaria vaccination, initiated on August 14, 2025, across all 70 health districts nationwide, represents another historic stride in Burkina Faso’s fight against malaria.

For Lucien Jean-Claude Kargougou, these results are historic precisely because everyone has understood that the fight against malaria is fundamentally a battle of behaviors and social acceptance.
“Community mobilization and communication have been central to our strategy. Locally adapted information campaigns, the involvement of community and religious leaders, door-to-door awareness efforts, and media engagement have transformed prevention tools into effective practices: sleeping under mosquito nets, vaccinating children, and seeking early consultation in case of fever,” he explained.

In light of these achievements, Minister Kargougou urged all stakeholders to persist in this momentum to meet the challenge of malaria elimination.

“We call upon all actors: local authorities, civil society organizations, technical and financial partners, community leaders, media, and the general population, to continue and intensify this dynamic. Together, we have demonstrated that it is possible to significantly reduce malaria. Together, we will eliminate malaria in Burkina Faso,” he declared.