Malaria deaths rose by 69,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions: WHO

Healthcare disruptions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic helped malaria kill 69,000 more people in 2020 than the previous year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. In total, 6,27,000 people globally were killed by malaria last year compared with 5,58,000 in 2019, the WHO said in its annual malaria report. However, a "worst-case scenario was averted", it further said.