Kigali, Rwanda – Between September and November 2025, Rwanda recorded a significant surge in malaria infections, with 442,678 cases reported, according to statistics from the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).
It has been reported that the increase was largely due to the rainy season, which created ideal breeding conditions for mosquitos. Specifically, 114,804 cases were recorded in September 2025, which then rose to 165,854 in October, before slightly decreasing to 162,020 in November.
Dr. Aimable Mbituyumuremyi, Director General of the Malaria and Other Parasitic Diseases Division at RBC, stated that malaria transmission typically peaks during this period. “From September to January, malaria cases are usually high due to rainfall,” he explained.
In response, between October and December 2025, indoor residual spraying activities were conducted in 28 high-risk sectors across the districts of Gisagara, Nyanza, Bugesera, Kirehe, Rwamagana, and Nyagatare. This intervention reached 1,031,676 residents as part of malaria prevention efforts.
Mbituyumuremyi added that the program would continue in 2026, with further indoor spraying scheduled between February and March in high-risk sectors within the districts of Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe, Muhanga, Gakenke, Musanze, Gicumbi, Rulindo, Nyamasheke, Karongi, and Rusizi.
These activities will be complemented by the distribution of mosquito nets, planned for February to May 2026 in areas considered to be at lower risk of malaria transmission.
Beyond spraying and mosquito net distribution, Rwanda has also begun discussions on introducing a malaria vaccine into the national immunization program. However, these discussions are in the early stages, and no decision has been made regarding the specific vaccine.
In addition to these measures, new antimalarial medicines such as Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine (DHAP) and Artesunate-Pyronaridine (ASPY) were introduced in health facilities across Rwanda in 2025 to complement Coartem in malaria treatment.
According to a report by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), malaria has claimed the lives of 572 children over the past five years. Malaria-related deaths among children under five were as follows: 35 in 2019, 40 in 2020, 15 in 2021, 20 in 2022, nine in 2023, and 16 in 2024.
During the same period, malaria claimed the lives of the following number of people aged above five: 145 in 2019, 87 in 2020, 41 in 2021, 57 in 2022, 36 in 2023, and 71 in 2024.
