Global disease burden from malaria peaked in 2003 and has been declining ever since, although malaria remains a leading cause of child mortality, particularly in sub-saharan Africa. Annual estimates of mortality and disability from malaria by country, generated by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) collaboration, provide important insights into populations where disease burden remains comparatively high, as well as trends in various sociodemographic groups. The GBD study also provides estimates of disease burden from various causes of global health significance, placing the malaria diseases burden trends and distribution in a broader policy context.