Malaria is one of the greatest infectious killers in human history and, despite recent control efforts, an estimated 600,000 people still die from it each year. The recent approval of the RTS,S and R21 vaccines have reinvigorated hopes of eliminating malaria, but these vaccines are not perfect, and we will need more than one tool to defeat the disease.
Fortunately, other innovations are in the pipeline that could further bolster efforts to create a malaria-free world.
The scale-up and roll-out of vaccination campaigns involving the RTS,S and R21 vaccines will gain momentum in the coming months, but ongoing research is exploring the best dose and delivery strategy, particularly for the RTS,S vaccine.
"Some studies are planning to look at a way of using RTS,S with a reduced dose, which could make it even more cost-effective. There are also questions about how best to implement the schedules of immunisation, particularly in settings where malaria is highly seasonal, of which there are many in sub-Saharan Africa," said Dr Larry Slutsker, a consultant to PATH and former director of its Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Program.
