What is Malaria?

• Malaria is a disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called “malaria vectors.”
• Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites.
• It is preventable and curable.

About the malaria vaccine

• The only approved vaccine as of now  is “RTS, S”, known by the brand name Mosquirix.
• The malaria vaccine prevents the parasite developing in humans.
• Mosquirix induces antibodies against malaria parasites that have entered the blood (via a mosquito bite) and have reached or are traveling to the liver, where they can mature and multiply. 
• The vaccine thus limits the ability of the parasites to mature in the liver and cause clinical disease.

Why in News?

• In a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine,  the efficacy of vaccination with or without chemoprevention (drugs) was studied and the combination of the interventions resulted in a substantially lower incidence of uncomplicated malaria.

To read more about Malaria and the government initiatives: https://officerspulse.com/malaria/

To read more about World Malaria Report 2020: https://officerspulse.com/world-malaria-report-2020/

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/antimalarial-vaccinedrug-combo-proves-most-efficacious-in-africa-trial/article36294238.ece