Reaching the zero malaria target: Somalia scales up efforts to eliminate malaria from 6 pilot districts Format 25 April 2021 – Ahead of World Malaria Day, marked annually on 25 April, WHO congratulates the Somali health authorities for taking bold and pragmatic steps to eliminate malaria from 6 pilot districts aiming to halt indigenous transmission of the disease. While the world was grappling with the rapid and fast spreading pandemic of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) country office in Somalia has continued to scale up its fight against malaria despite disruption of essential health services in the country. Somolia has a high-burden of malaria, and between 2000 and 2019, an estimated 759 000 cases and 1942 deaths from malaria have occurred. Various control efforts undertaken by the Government with the support of WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and funded by the Global Fund have resulted in the reduction of incidence from 2.6 cases per 1000 population in 2014 to 1.8 per 1000 population in 2020, showing a 25% reduction.