Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has registered an alarming spike of around 300 percent in malaria cases during the preceding year 2023, according to a report issued here on Tuesday by the Health Department. More than 500,000 people will be infected with malaria in 2023, exhibiting an increase of around 350,000 cases, compared to 150,000 reported in 2022. The report reveals that the maximum number of malaria cases are reported in Shangla district, totaling around 108,000, followed by D.I. Khan, where 70,000 cases were reported. In Lakki Marwat, 44000 cases were reported, 24,000 in Karak, 40,000 in Tank, 24,000 in Khyber, 17000 in South Waziristan, 44,000 in Buner, 34, 000 in Bannu, and 17,000 in Nowshera. In Mohmand district, 8000 cases were reported, 10,000 in Bajaur, and 13900 in Mardan, according to the report by the KP Health Department. Director of Public Health KP, Irshad Roghani, has attributed prolonged rains and devastating floods as the reasons behind this abnormal spike in malaria cases, providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes. As a protective measure, Dr Roghani continued, around two million nets were distributed among people to keep them protected from mosquito bites.