Malaria : Vaccines

Developing an effective malaria vaccine has been a huge challenge for medical science, but the world has made great strides towards beating this disease. Malaria is one of humanity's oldest and deadliest enemies, and it remains a major health problem in many countries. According to the World Health Organization’s 2020 World Malaria Report, there were 229 million cases of malaria reported in 2019 and 409,000 deaths. Children younger than 5 years old made up 67% of these deaths, with the disease killing one child every two minutes. In 2019, about half of the world’s population was at risk of contracting malaria. Sub-Saharan Africa suffers the most, accounting for more than 90% of malaria cases and deaths annually.

Recent control efforts have introduced highly effective therapies, such as artemisinin combination therapy and rapid diagnostic tests. The wider use of insecticide-treated bed nets, various vector control measures, and preventive intermittent chemotherapeutic courses for vulnerable individuals have all helped reduce the incidence of malaria. However, this reduction has recently slowed, and incidence may be increasing again. According to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the targets of number 3 (to ensure well-being and promote healthy lives for all individuals at all ages) include a...