Malaria Day in the Americas Date in the current year: November 6, 2024

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasitic single-celled microorganisms transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Although 85–90% of malaria fatalities occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, the disease is presently endemic in a broad band around the equator, including much of Africa, many parts of Asia, and areas of the Americas. On the American continent, an estimated 120 million people in 21 countries are at risk.

The first country in the Americas to observe Malaria Day was Guyana. It has recognized this day since 2003. Malaria Day commemorates the day when French physician Charles Leveran first observed malaria-causing parasitic protozoans in blood. In 1907, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery.

Guyana’s anti-malaria initiative was supported by the Pan American Health Organization in 2005. Two years later, the 27th Pan American Sanitary Conference in Washington, D.C. officially established Malaria Day in the Americas.

Pan American Malaria Day should not be confused with World Malaria Day, a United Nations observance held on April 25.