The approval of the first malaria vaccine: The beginning of the end of the malaria epidemic

Abstract

In the last 50 years, at least 34 million people have died from malaria, 96% of whom were from Africa [1]. Despite US$401 billion spent on the fight against malaria in the past decade [2] and numerous national malaria programmes and policies implemented, only modest gains have been recorded as malaria continues to drastically impact the health and livelihoods of people in sub-Saharan African countries due to weak health systems, inadequate political commitment, corruption, poverty, illiteracy, conflicts among others [2]. However, after several decades of developing the world’s first malaria vaccine (Figure 1), The World Health Organization’s (WHO) approval of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine for children between five and 17 months of age at first vaccination in October 2021 offered a ray of hope for eliminating malaria in Africa in the coming decades [3]. Here we explore some previous innovative vector control methods and their shortcomings in malaria control, the opportunities associated with the recently approved malaria vaccine, and areas of improvement for future malaria vaccines, while we also recommend strategies for the widespread adoption of the malaria vaccine.