A new vaccine for malaria , according to clinical trials, but significant challenges remain when it comes to fully eradicating the disease. The new vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, is a three-dose regimen that was endorsed by the World Health Organization in September 2023.
Prior to this endorsement, the only existing malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, with a four-dose regimen. This advancement was nevertheless a breakthrough in the prevention of the mosquito-borne disease, which is complicated by the insects' .
Still, these vaccines have yet to significantly reduce the prevalence of . In fact, the mosquito-borne illness causes over , in the WHO African Region comprising 47 member-states in Africa, according to the organization's 2022 World Malaria Report.
Moreover, vaccine distribution is just one step in the process of full inoculation, a process that requires a minimum of three dosages administered four weeks apart. This is especially challenging for regions where malaria is most rampant because many of them do not have particularly advanced infrastructure for providing health care. According to a 2021 report by the Africa Health Agenda International Conference, received the health care they needed. The region also has a ratio of just , far below the WHO's standard of 4.45 health workers per 1,000 people needed for sufficient health care services.
To explore these issues further, partnered with Stacker to explore the global burden of malaria using and the challenges to ending the disease, even as multiple vaccines enter the market.