The 2020 edition of the World Malaria Report takes a look back at key events and milestones that helped shape the global response to the disease over the last 2 decades – a period of unprecedented success in malaria control that saw 1.5 billion cases and 7.6 million deaths averted. This year’s report also features a special section on malaria and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a detailed analysis of progress towards the 2020 milestones of WHO’s global malaria strategy.