World Mosquito Day for the year 2024 is celebrated/observed on Sunday, August 20th. There are until the next observance.

Mosquitoes are more than just pesky summer bugs; they are also responsible for the transmission of malaria, a disease that kills over 500,000 people each year. When Ronald Ross discovered in 1897 that mosquitos spread malaria, he changed our knowledge of the illness and raised awareness about malaria prevention.

📆 When is World Mosquito Day?

This year, World Mosquito Day is on August 20th. It is the 3rd Sunday in August; in 2024, it is on Tuesday.

Countdown to World Mosquito Day

Did you know: Mosquitoes kill more people than any other critter on the planet!

You can also discover all fascinating things you didn’t know about and facts about August 20, 2023.

📜 History of World Mosquito Day

Malaria has infected every continent except Antarctica and continues to be a major issue in regions of the world such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Caribbean. Every year, around 200 million individuals acquire malaria. In 2010, Africa accounted for 90% of malaria fatalities. The World Health Organization is worried about drug-resistant malaria, which could make it hard to stop the spread of the disease.

Sir Ronald Ross, a British army physician operating in India at the time, confirmed that mosquitoes spread malaria by finding pigmented malaria parasites in mosquitoes that fed on an afflicted patient on World Mosquito Day. This revelation transformed our understanding of the illness and paved the way for novel preventative approaches. In 1902, Ross was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Ross immediately announced the inaugural World Mosquito Day, arguing that the world needed to be made aware of the relationship between mosquitoes and malaria. Despite advances in disease understanding that have resulted in more inventive preventative strategies and medicinal therapies, a malaria vaccine remains elusive.

☑️ World Mosquito Day facts

Only females bite-and only when breeding
Female mosquitoes require blood for protein when attempting to breed. When they are not trying to lay eggs, both male and female mosquitoes eat the nectar from flowers.

Synchronized wingbeats
Male and female mosquitoes coordinate their wingbeats.

Mosquitoes aren’t attracted to light
Mosquitoes, unlike other insects, are drawn to carbon dioxide rather than light. This alerts them to the presence of an animal with appetizing blood nearby.

Things to do on World Mosquito Day

Raise funds for an anti-malaria organization
Join forces with a local non-profit or organize your own event to generate funds for anti-malaria activities. Donate the money to a group that gives out mosquito nets, helps people get medicine and therapy, or does research on vaccines and treatments.

Learn about malaria
Learn how malaria spreads, where it’s most common, and how to protect yourself if you live in or visit an at-risk region.

Raise awareness among friends
Malaria may afflict everyone in many regions of the world; thus, proper information about the disease is critical. It’s a good idea to get some beneficial information from a respected institution to post on social media.

📅 World Mosquito Day Observances

YEAR DATE DAY
2023 August 20 Sunday
2024 August 20 Tuesday
2025 August 20 Wednesday
2026 August 20 Thursday
2027 August 20 Friday

Learn all August holidays, including Health and other Awareness holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and cool facts about World Mosquito Day. So be sure to check back soon.