Lema Tefera’s grief is immeasurable—four of his children succumbed to malaria within a month. He believes their lives could have been saved if the ongoing conflict in Oromia had not cut off access to essential treatment.
“There was no malaria medication and treatment in our village due to the fighting,” he said, his voice breaking.
Ethiopia’s Oromia region, the country’s most populous, is facing an alarming health crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Africa accounts for nearly 95% of global malaria cases, with Ethiopia experiencing a significant increase in infections and fatalities. In Oromia, where an armed conflict has persisted since 2018, the situation has worsened as medical supplies and services have been severely disrupted.
Health Services in Decline
For farmers like Lema, who once provided for his family in a rural village, the escalating malaria outbreak has been devastating.
“It was the worst situation I have ever experienced,” he said, recalling his loss.
His experience is not unique. Between January and October last year, Ethiopia recorded 7.3 million malaria cases and over 1,100 deaths, a sharp increase from the previous year. Oromia alone accounts for nearly half of these cases, with the collapse of health infrastructure exacerbating the crisis.
The conflict has made it nearly impossible to deliver vital anti-malarial drugs to affected communities. “Programmed supplies of anti-malarial drugs have been disrupted due to the armed conflict,” said Gemechu Biftu, who leads the Oromia Physicians Association.
Efforts to end the conflict have stalled, with peace talks in Tanzania failing in 2023. The government continues to classify the OLA as a terrorist organization, leaving little hope for a resolution in the near future.
Climate Change Adding to the Burden
In addition to conflict, shifting climate patterns are making the situation worse. Rising temperatures and increased humidity have created favorable conditions for malaria-carrying mosquitoes, leading to a year-round transmission of the disease.
“In previous years, malaria cases would decline in the dry season, but now they remain high throughout the year,” noted Legesse Bulcha, head of Nejo General Hospital in West Wollega.
His hospital has seen a drastic increase in malaria cases over the past three years, with the disease now accounting for 70% of the 26,000 patients treated in 2023-2024, compared to just 20% in earlier years.
Gemechu also warned that malaria is spreading into previously unaffected areas, making control efforts even more challenging.
Humanitarian Challenges Ahead
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Ethiopia coordinator Rachelle Seguin described the current malaria outbreak as unprecedented.
“I think it’s a little bit the perfect storm: you have increasing temperatures, you’ve had conflict in the country for years,” she explained. With the next rainy season approaching, experts fear the crisis will only deepen.
The situation is further complicated by the recent freeze in U.S. aid funding, which previously provided a significant portion of global malaria prevention and treatment resources.
“The recent USAID funding cut would significantly increase morbidity and mortality not only from malaria but also from other communicable illnesses,” warned Dr. Nuredin Luke, an Oromia-based physician.
A Struggle for Survival
For people like Lema, the crisis is more than statistics—it is a painful reality. With his farmland abandoned and his family shattered, he now depends on relatives to survive.
“I have been completely depressed,” he admitted. “I have not been able to recover from the grief.”
As the conflict rages on, healthcare systems remain crippled, and climate conditions worsen, the malaria crisis in Ethiopia’s Oromia region is set to escalate further. Without urgent intervention, more lives will be lost in a crisis that shows no sign of ending.