This age-old scourge, which has marked the history of human societies, today mainly affects Africa, although it remains widespread in Asia and Latin America. Europe, for its part, eliminated the disease years ago, but global warming risks expanding the habitats suitable for mosquito vectors, thus threatening areas previously spared.
After nearly half a century of work, two vaccines have finally been developed, proving their safety and effectiveness.
Between 2000 and 2015, notable progress resulted in a significant reduction in malaria cases and deaths. These advances have been possible thanks to methods combining the use of insecticides, mosquito nets and anti-malaria treatments.
However, the emergence of resistance to insecticides and drugs calls these achievements into question. Although new malaria vaccines are a major breakthrough, their deployment requires significant investments to reach vulnerable populations.
1. Malaria, one of the main killers of children under five
Every minute, a child dies from malaria, a tragedy that hits families living in poverty the hardest. Poor sanitation conditions, lack of access to adequate housing or health care favor the spread of the disease.
The poorest populations are hardest hit: 58% of deaths occur among the poorest 20% of the world’s population. In addition to its human cost, malaria has major social and economic repercussions, plunging families into poverty and depriving children of education, thus compromising their future.
In April 2024, UNDP called for joint efforts to simultaneously combat poverty and malaria, going beyond an exclusively health approach.
2. Stagnant progress for several years
Between 2000 and 2015, increased efforts reduced malaria deaths by almost 40%. However, this progress has slowed, particularly due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a notable increase in malaria-related deaths.
3. Growing resistance to treatments
When resistance to artemisinin – the main antimalarial used in combination therapies – appeared in Southeast Asia, experts worried about the consequences if it reached Africa, where 95% of malaria cases are concentrated. and 96% of deaths linked to this disease.
Today, their fears are confirmed: resistance is indeed spreading in Africa. One of the main mutations monitored is PfCup13which manifests clinically as a slowdown in the elimination of parasites, which lengthens the time needed to eradicate the infection.
Although most infections remain treatable for now, the development of new antimalarial drugs is very limited. Scientists are working with countries to adjust their malaria programs, including exploring new drug combinations or combining artemisinin with two antimalarial drugs rather than just one, in an effort to slow the spread of resistance .
4. The development of a vaccine against malaria: a historic breakthrough, but to be combined with other interventions
The development of a vaccine against malaria was a true epic, mobilizing researchers from around the world who made this quest their life’s mission to prevent a disease that still kills millions of people.
Unlike viruses, parasites pose a much more complex challenge for creating vaccines because they are sophisticated organisms that change shape depending on the stages of their life cycle. This makes it difficult to effectively prepare our immune system to fight them.
After nearly half a century of work, two vaccines have finally been developed, proving their safety and effectiveness.
The WHO emphasizes, however, that it is essential that these vaccines be administered in addition to insecticide-treated bed nets and preventative antimalarials (chemoprevention) to provide complete protection against this disease.
5. Gavi-supported malaria vaccines are being rolled out in Africa
To date, 16 countries have introduced these vaccines with Gavi support: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Benin, Liberia, Ivory Coast, South Sudan, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Niger, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. Other countries are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
These vaccines have immense potential to save lives and reduce cases of this devastating disease. Gavi is currently leading a financing campaign for the period 2026-2030, with the aim of raising $9 billion. These funds will provide hundreds of millions of children with access to protection against various diseases, including malaria.
