First Malaria Vaccine RTS, S: A Step toward the Eradication of Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne, life-threatening illness caused by the parasite, Plasmodium. Around 50% of the world's population is endangered by this infectious disease. The antimalarial drug, artemisinin (ART), which is extracted from the plant Artemisia annua, has become a fundamental part of the treatment regime for malaria across the world. The use of ART-based combination therapies against uncomplicated malaria has been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). As per the latest World Malaria Report in 2022, around 247 million malaria cases were reported in 2021 from 84 malaria-endemic nations, including the territory of French Guiana, a considerable upsurge from the 245 million reported in 2020. One of the foremost reasons for this increase was linked with disturbances to services for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment measures during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. On October 6, 2021, the WHO suggested the RTS,S vaccine as the first malaria vaccine to be used against Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children residing in areas with moderate to high transmission. In July 2022, the WHO granted prequalification support for this vaccine. Over one million children living in African countries, mainly in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, have gotten at least one dose of this groundbreaking malaria vaccine through programs coordinated by the WHO, as well as international and country-level partners. RTS,S is a significant initial step in the path to the production of other highly protective and multi-stage vaccines that may become part of malaria eradication programs in the near future. Several malariologists are working on the early clinical development or trial phases of first-generation and next-generation malaria vaccines, such as R21/Matrix-M, using mRNA technology.