Approach · Malaria, Saving lives
Seasonal malaria medicine
Preventive malaria medicine given to young children each month during the rainy season, when malaria spreads most.
How strong is the evidence?
Exceptionally strong
Strength of evidence, as rated by GiveWell
GiveWell rates seasonal malaria medicine evidence as exceptionally strong; Malaria Consortium coverage surveys generally find high reach.
What evaluators are unsure about
- Level of malaria mortality in areas where GiveWell supports seasonal malaria medicine.
- Whether seasonal malaria medicine campaigns would be funded by other malaria funders in GiveWell’s absence.
- Some discrepancies between post-round and post-cycle coverage surveys; reliance on caregiver self-report.
Published figures for charities doing this
| Charity | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malaria ConsortiumCost per life saved | $4,000 per life saved2022–2024 average | GiveWell (opens in a new tab) |
| Malaria ConsortiumCost per child full malaria medicine course | $7 per child, per season of malaria medicine2022–2024 average | GiveWell (opens in a new tab) |
Modeled, not guaranteed. Figures in different units measure different kinds of good and should not be compared directly.
Charities doing this work
Malaria Consortium
Gives young children preventive malaria medicine during the rainy months, when malaria spreads most.
$4,000 per life saved
GiveWell, 2022–2024 average
GiveWell Top Charities Fund
Pools donations and grants them to GiveWell's Top Charities wherever GiveWell judges the money is needed most.
Not yet rated
No published figure we can quote
Sources
Questions donors ask
- Does seasonal malaria medicine work?
GiveWell rates the evidence as exceptionally strong. See the sources on this page for the full reasoning.
- How cost-effective is it?
It depends on the charity and the setting. The table on this page lists each published figure with its source. All are modeled, not guaranteed.