Malaria projects

Rising to the malaria challenge

We’re working on solutions for today and tomorrow

photo: girl
A malaria vaccine is not only possible, but likely.

Malaria is one of the oldest diseases known to humans, yet it still kills more than a million kids a year. Why?

Is science failing us? Is it economics? Is the malaria parasite really that clever?

There are few easy answers and many tough challenges—scientific and otherwise. But we believe that malaria can be overcome, and that’s why we’re working the equation from both ends: leading the development of a vaccine that will one day protect every child who is at risk and putting in place malaria control measures that will saves lives today.

Eye on the prize

We have our eye on the long-term prize—a vaccine that will protect against the malaria parasite. Where traditional market forces have not been strong enough to drive the development of a malaria vaccine, we’re providing leverage in the form of human, financial, and technical resources that will make it a reality. And stunning results in clinical trials of one of the top vaccine candidates—a reduction in new infections by more than a third—demonstrate that we're on the right track. Read more about how we’re working with private-sector partners to achieve what many once thought was impossible.

Model malaria control

Meanwhile, right now, there are things that can be done to help control malaria and reduce the toll it takes on individuals, families, and economies in endemic countries. In Zambia, we’re part of a partnership that is scaling up, to the national level, interventions that have proven successful at the local level. Last year, for example, we helped the Zambian government distribute more than a half-million insecticide-treated bednets throughout the country. This year, Zambia's National Malaria Control Programme will distribute more than 3.4 million bednets, bringing the country startlingly close to its goal of 80 percent coverage—and the country's 2006 malaria indicator survey shows that malaria infections were more than 50 percent less common in households with insecticide-treated nets.

As we help Zambia roll out malaria interventions nationwide, we’re learning what works and sharing this experience with others. Our goal is to work with Zambia and other partners in the region to raise the bar for malaria control. Read more about this inspirational partnership and what it is accomplishing.

Whatever it takes

The 3,000 children a day that succumb to malaria is 3,000 too many. Stopping malaria means acting today to put in place proven methods of prevention and control, but it also means working on a vaccine, to change tomorrow. At PATH, we’ll do whatever we can to stop malaria, for as long as it takes.

More about PATH’s longstanding commitment to malaria

Photo: David Jacobs.