MALARIA VACCINE: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by the plasmodium genus, malaria can cause a range of symptoms and life –threatening complications so an early diagnosis is crucial. In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number of antimalarial drugs. Interventions control the spread malaria has been embarked on over the years, such interventions include the use of herbs, and insecticide treated nets, covering or oiling the surface of open water source, treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies. The most recent intervention is the malaria vaccine just approved by the World Health Organization known as RTS, S(ASO1). This vaccine confers immunity to children between 2-18 months. Before the approval of the malaria vaccine various clinical trials had been embarked on to demonstrate the variable safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. In this review, we summarised the latest research progress in combating the spread of malaria, life cycle of malaria, pathogenesis of malaria, the prospects and challenges of the newly released malaria vaccine.